Guiding Darkness
by Sailor Panda
Summary: A vicious youkai attack leads to rescue by a mysterious stranger, leaving Kagome trapped in darkness with no one left to depend on but him - he, who has an agenda of his own. Just how does Kagome figure into his plans...and how will she change them?
1. Capture in Moonlight

AN: The timeframe for this fic is early on in the Inuyasha series sometime before Shippou and the rest joined the Shikon shard hunting team and will most likely go off on a completely different tangent from the Inuyasha series. Excuse the shortness as it seems most first chapters of series that I write tend to start off brief.  
  
I'm not sure how this'll go since it's my first active attempt at suspense or action so I would appreciate any feedback, good or bad, as to what you think so far. That being said, I hope you enjoy this.  
  
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CHAPTER 1: Capture in Moonlight  
  
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"Are you certain?"  
  
The Great Lord of the Western Lands stared down imperiously at the old scryer, her pale wrinkled hands resting on the fallen stones before her as her wizened gaze calmly met his own. This old youkai who had shared ties with his departed father since centuries past, before he'd even been born into this world, had always been reliable for her readings, her ability to tell what needed to be known from the pattern of fallen stones, and his father had always trusted them implicitly. But still, even knowing her accuracy, he had a difficult time accepting what she'd told him.  
  
"Do you doubt me?" Wrinkled lips curled in a smile. "Well, it doesn't matter if you do for it does not change the truth. I could cast the stones a dozen more times for the question you posed but the answer will remain unchanged."  
  
"I see." He looked down at the stones impassively, any thoughts he was thinking kept to himself.  
  
"Is there no one you have in mind?" she asked of the silent youkai lord.  
  
With a flash of golden eyes, he left the room without another word, leaving a wizened gaze staring after him, twinkling in amusement.  
  
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"Inuyasha! Sit!"  
  
The sound of flesh thudding on wooden floorboards filled the room as Kagome stormed out of Kaede's hut, leaving the flattened hanyou behind. By the time Inuyasha finally pulled his face from the floor, Kagome was long gone. He glared at the hut's entrance as the other occupant of the hut sighed.  
  
"Don't you think you should go after her?" Kaede asked, eyeing the hanyou blandly. "What you said was harsher than she deserved."  
  
"It was the truth!" Inuyasha yelled angrily as he sat up and glared at the old woman. "Aside for detecting Shikon shards, that bitch is completely useless!"  
  
Kaede sighed heavily. "Do you really think so?"  
  
"Of course," he snorted, crossing his arms. "All she does is get kidnapped and causes even more problems. She's a useless human miko!"  
  
She looked at him in disapproval. "That 'useless human miko' saved your life."  
  
"When?"  
  
A brow arched. "Did you forget so soon your battle with that youkai Yura of the hair?"  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"If Kagome had not used whatever mysterious power she possesses to detect her weak point, you would either be dead or much more badly injured than you were."  
  
"Hmph," he grunted. "I didn't need her help. I would have found a way to beat her." He tilted up a defiant chin. "Eventually."  
  
"Is that what you truly believe?"  
  
He glared back at her stubbornly. "I'm not going to fucking apologize!"  
  
Kaede shook her head sadly at him but, in her infinite wisdom, deemed it best to leave the matter alone for a bit. Despite the short acquaintance between the two, the fights between the hanyou and the young girl were frequent but eventually seemed to work themselves out in the end. They just needed a little time apart to settle down, she was certain, and then things would be back to normal. Well, as normal as things could be between a hanyou and a reincarnated human miko. But, with the heavy and oppressive atmosphere that was created in the small confines of the hut by the presence of an irritated hanyou, she hoped it would be soon.  
  
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Concealed, the youkai watched and waited, sensing the unmistakable presence of the Shikon shards on the human girl who was rushing away from the village and beating down the rampant desire to have this over and done with quickly. Until the moment was right to strike, patience had to be used until the girl was farther away from the village to attack so that any possible cries for help that she might voice would go unheard. It would be best to avoid any unnecessary attention and having the nearby villagers come to a distressed damsel's aid was an annoyance better left for someone else to deal with.  
  
Patience, patience, and soon the Shikon shards would have a new owner.  
  
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"That jerk!"  
  
A fuming Kagome stormed away from the village and towards the old Bone Eater's well, intending to go home and away for the irritating hanyou that always seemed to belittle her. But, as her temper faded with every step she took, she suddenly stopped and sighed, feeling a little guilty. She felt that what he said had some truth to after all. She was only human and, despite the fact that she was supposedly a reincarnation of a long- dead and powerful miko, she didn't really possess any spectacular abilities. Sure, she could detect the presence of Shikon fragments but that was about it. More often than not, Inuyasha was the one that had to come and rescue her. She really did owe her well being to him.  
  
Especially for the most recent time he had ended up rescuing her.  
  
She sighed again, recalling how she'd been kidnapped by a youkai that had wanted to take the Shikon shards she was carrying, the incident that was the cause of their recent argument. Of course, it hadn't been any more fun for her than it had been for Inuyasha. He was so obsessed with collecting the shards that she supposed, given his hot temper and childish way of behaving, that she could understand how he was so aggravated over having to go through the trouble of a useless fight that hadn't even gotten them another piece of the Shikon no Tama. Even though he had saved her because she carried the shards, she still owed him for her life.  
  
Besides, she was at fault for breaking the jewel in the first place and felt it was her responsibility to collect the fragments but she wasn't foolish enough to believe that she could do it alone. She needed Inuyasha's fighting skills and youkai abilities to go against anyone else using the power of a Shikon shard just as he needed her to pick up the traces of more fragments. They both needed each other but, for this odd partnership to work, they needed to be on less hostile terms which meant that this latest blow-up in their relationship had to be resolved.  
  
"Guess I'll have to be the adult here," Kagome said aloud.  
  
For all that he'd been sealed against the tree she'd first found him at for fifty years and was older than her in terms of physical age, he acted even more immature than her little brother Souta. She didn't really think of him as evil as there were moments when he could be pleasant but he was definitely stubborn and not one to easily admit that he'd ever been wrong. It was obvious that she'd have to be the grown-up one and make the first move towards reconciliation. She consoled herself by repeating over and over in her mind that the sooner this was resolved, the sooner they could finish collecting shards and then she could go home for good and concentrate on her schoolwork the way she needed to.  
  
Mind made up, she turned around and began to head back towards the village.  
  
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No! She was turning around!  
  
It was obvious that she was heading back towards the village, back to unnecessary hindrances that would only further get in the way of obtaining the Shikon shards. There was no helping for it; this place would have to do. Now, while she was still alone with any would-be saviors far away in the human village.  
  
Now was the time to strike!  
  
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She felt a prickling chill across her skin.  
  
She stiffened warily and cautiously looked around, seeing nothing and yet somehow knowing that she wasn't alone, that something out there was watching her every action and had intentions that she was positive weren't in her best interests. She quickened her pace while trying to act as if nothing were wrong, hoping to buy a little more time until she was closer to the village so that she could make a run for it or call for help.  
  
A whoosh, a violent rustling of leaves, and a hard thudding sound behind her had her bursting into a sudden all-out run with all the speed she could muster as a rumbling growling behind her let her know that her watcher had decided to stop just watching. She didn't bother to waste the time to look back at whatever was thudding behind her as it gave chase, closing the distance between them. She concentrated on running back as fast as her legs would carry her to the village which now seemed eons away as she opened her mouth and let out a piercing scream.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
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From his reclining position on the floor of Kaede's hut, Inuyasha suddenly bolted upright cocking his ears and startling the old woman tending the fire in the little hut. She looked at him in concern when she saw the intense expression on his face.  
  
"What is it, Inuyasha?"  
  
"I don't know." He strained his ears. "I thought I heard something."  
  
Then he heard it again, the frightened cry of his name in the distance and he was up and running, dashing through the hut's entrance as he prayed that he'd make it there in time. He was dimly aware of the old woman as she rushed after him to the best of her abilities, no doubt with the intent to help, but she was too slow compared to him. He went as fast as he could towards the cry, hoping he'd be in time to save her.  
  
Kagome.  
  
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"Inuyasha!"  
  
Kagome screamed as loud as she could for as long as she could, a second cry to follow the first, while she continued to run and prayed that he heard her frantic yelling and would come. She had no doubt that he would. After all, she had the Shikon shards and knew that, whatever he may think of her, he'd rather die than see them turned over to anyone else. No, her biggest concern wasn't that he'd come to rescue her but that he made it in time to do so.  
  
But then, when she was about to let loose with another scream, she tripped on a tree root concealed in the darkness and had a bigger concern that filled her mind as she went sprawling across the ground and the youkai that had been chasing her suddenly loomed over her prone figure. Fear was instant and clogged her throat, closing it tight, as the impressive mass of bristling dark fur and claws registered in her mind as the growling mouth filled with snapping rows of razor-sharp teeth began to descend on her.  
  
Fear was overwhelming as it swelled within her and she finally opened her mouth to scream once more when the large body hovering over hers suddenly stiffened and let out a howling roar much louder than anything she'd ever heard. It deafened her, frightened her, as she felt something liquid and hot pouring over her eyes.  
  
Then everything went black.  
  
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"Kagome!"  
  
Inuyasha rushed towards the fallen figure on the ground only to stop short when he drew close and saw that the large youkai was dead with no one else in sight. He paced around the dead body in an effort to pick up enough clues that would let him piece together just what it was that had happened here. He sniffed with his keen nose and clearly picked up Kagome's scent but none of her blood that was somewhat of a relief as it increased the likelihood that she was unharmed. But it was that other scent, a very familiar one, which wafted to his nose that had him stiffening in fear and rage that boiled out in a frustrated angry cry that echoed throughout the darkness of the forest and carried beyond.  
  
"Sesshoumaru!"  
  
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Far away, the Great Lord of the Western Lands heard the cry despite the long distance between them and ignored it for he disliked bothering with such unnecessary things. Instead, he calmly continued on his way, glancing down at the bundle he cradled in his one good arm as they traveled through the darkness of the night sky.  
  
He'd gotten what he had come for. 


	2. Wake to Darkness

AN: Hmm, well this might be a bit OOC since the situation calls for a nudge out of the realm of wordless silence that our mystery rescuer usually dwells in. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!  
  
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CHAPTER 2: Wake to Darkness  
  
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Someone was watching her.  
  
Kagome didn't know how she knew but, as she struggled past the veils of unconsciousness, she just had a feeling of someone's gaze weighing down on her. But through the heavy lassitude of sleep that blanketed her, she didn't feel alarmed over whoever her silent watcher might be as she concentrated on struggling back to the land of the conscious. Her next awareness was of the sensation of fur that tickled her nose, the warmth of being enveloped in something, and the crackling sounds of a fire. Not just a fire, but a nearby one as she feel the warmth of flickering flames and the stirring of the air they caused wafting across her face.  
  
Suddenly memories surged through her in a distorted mix of the night, the youkai, screaming, large snapping teeth, and her belief that she was going to die. Trembling in remembered fear, her fists clenched, closing around silky fur that felt very real to the touch and was a wonderful assurance that she was alive. Relieved, she relaxed a little as she struggled to open eyes that felt much like the rest of her body did, sluggish and exhausted and very heavy. Her body just didn't want to obey her commands but still she widened her eyes as much as she could to take in surroundings.  
  
All she saw was darkness.  
  
Panicked, she wondered if she hadn't managed to open her eyes after all. But, bringing up a hand to touch her face, feeling the fluttering of eyelashes against her fingers, hearing the crackling of the nearby fire that was just too close for her to not be able to see the bright flames of, there was only one conclusion that Kagome could possibly find to explain this.  
  
She was blind.  
  
Horrified by the realization, she felt her face pale as she recalled being under the youkai that had attacked her and something hot and wet dripping into her eyes which was no doubt the cause of her current sightless state. Then she became confused again, remembering how certain she was that she was going to die and wondering about her current circumstances. She didn't understand what had happened. Fear prickled along her skin as she wondered if the youkai that had attacked her had meant to blind her and was holding her captive even now. But that didn't make any sense since she'd been certain that it had been trying to kill her, no doubt attracted by the Shikon shards.  
  
The Shikon Shards!  
  
Desperately, she felt around, worming her hand under the fur that she was bundled in to feel around her skirt pocket. She wilted in relief when she felt the familiar tiny glass bottle she used to store the tiny fragments. The shards were safe which was a great load off her mind and, relaxing a little, she peered into the darkness, turning her head in the direction that she felt her silent watcher was.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned. When she received no reply, uneasiness grew. "Inuyasha, stop playing around. It's not funny."  
  
Time passed in silence and she still received no response other than the crackling of the fire. Fear returned and grew within her at the realization that, whoever it was that was watching her, he or she was definitely not Inuyasha. After all, as obnoxious as the hanyou was, he wasn't the type to play these kinds of tricks nor the kind of person to keep silent this long. No, Inuyasha would argue and insult, telling her that she had been stupid to get attacked again and risk the shards, the complete opposite it seemed of whoever her endlessly silent mystery watcher was.  
  
"Who are you?" She strained her eyes even though she knew it was useless, trying to make out the mystery figure to no avail. "What do you want with me?"  
  
Silence.  
  
Fearful, but also getting irritated, she asked, "Where are we?"  
  
Silence.  
  
It was wearing on her already taut nerves so, as usual in most instances when things got too irritating, she became angry. "Look, are you going to answer sometime in this century or not? I don't have time for a game of twenty questions, especially when they're not being answered. So if you're not going to eat me, kill me, or talk to me, then I'll just leave."  
  
"And where, human, do you intend to go?"  
  
She startled at the surprise of suddenly hearing her watcher speak up, the voice low and mellow without expression but obviously masculine, it was somehow familiar though, for the life of her, she just couldn't place it. Frowning, she peered with sightless eyes in the direction the voice had come from.  
  
"Do I know you?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
Silence.  
  
"Oh, God, not this again!" She rolled her eyes in exasperation. Despite her vulnerable situation with an unknown youkai, she weighed her options, which were most definitely very few, considering that she couldn't do much without her sight. Practical nature kicking into gear, she became determined. "Look," she said. "Right now, I don't have many choices but that doesn't mean I don't have questions. Since you obviously don't want to divulge your identity, that's fine with me as long as you're not going to eat me or kill me." She frowned. "You're not, are you?"  
  
"No," he said after a moment's pause.  
  
"Good." Kagome relaxed a little. "Do you mean me harm?"  
  
"Not at the moment."  
  
She frowned again. It wasn't the answer she was hoping for but there was little she could do at this point. She decided to get her other questions answered first and worry later. So she continued, asking, "Did you save me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Geez." Kagome huffed in annoyance. "Fine, moving on. Next question: what happened? All I remember is that big youkai on top of me about to tear me to shreds. Nothing else. So could you at least help me fill in the blanks a little?"  
  
There was a pause. "Fill in the blanks?"  
  
"Oh." She forgot to avoid using modern speech. "I meant, tell me about the events that happened when you rescued me. Do you think you could do that, please?"  
  
There was another long pause but, just when she thought he wasn't going to speak up, he did to say, "You were attacked by a low-level youkai."  
  
"I knew that!" she snapped in irritation. Then she frowned. "Well, the youkai part anyway. I couldn't really tell if it was low-level or not."  
  
She heard a small sound, almost disgusted.  
  
It made her scowl, saying, "Well, excuse me if I'm only human!" She huffed. "So what if my senses aren't on the same level? I'm sure if I were a youkai like you then I wouldn't have any problems telling different classes apart either."  
  
"And how," the voice was intent, "do you know that I am youkai?"  
  
"What?" She bit her lip, confused as she thought. "Well, I just do." She shrugged. "I can't really explain it since I don't understand it myself."  
  
"A normal human stricken blind would likely not be able to tell." There was something almost searching in his tone. "How is it that you can?"  
  
"I don't know." Kagome shifted uncomfortably. "Look, until a little while ago, I never even thought youkai were real. They were only figments of the imagination and I was just a regular girl." She frowned. "I still think I am for the most part but the things that keep happening, well, they're confusing and I'm not used to any of it yet so I can't really explain anything that's going on since I just don't know. So whatever you're trying to find out, you're better off going somewhere else than asking me. I don't know what is it that you want from me, but I don't think I can really help you with whatever it is."  
  
"And what," there was a wary note to his voice, "makes you think I want something from you?"  
  
"It's just a feeling." Her lips twisted wryly. "Also, you're a youkai and I don't think your type usually helps out a human just for the sake of goodwill." She smiled faintly. "Am I wrong?"  
  
"No." Then he asked, a bit of irritation in his voice, "You do not speak as if you are afraid, human."  
  
"Oh, but I am." She shrugged. "But everything that's happen recently takes some time to process so I'm just not thinking about it too much for the moment. Also, with the way I am right now, there's nothing I can do about it anyway so I'm better off just figuring things out slowly." She sighed. "Besides, whatever it is you want from me, you did save me so I owe you my thanks." She gave a slight nod. "So thank you."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Back to this again, are we?" she muttered to herself. A little louder, she said, "Could you tell me the rest about what happened, please? The conversation seems to have gotten off track. What happened after I was attacked?"  
  
"I saved you."  
  
"I know that." Her gaze narrowed in annoyance. "Details. Can you give me more of them or not?"  
  
"I killed the youkai, pulled your unconscious form out from under it before you were crushed, and carried you away."  
  
"Better," she said. The explanation was still lacking but Kagome had the feeling that trying to get more out of him would be futile so she gave it up and moved onto something else. "What kind of youkai was it? I know you said it was low-level but is there anything else you know?" She reached up to touch her eye, a hint of fear creeping into her voice. "Like why I can't see or if it's permanent or not?"  
  
"It's not."  
  
"It's not?" She straightened hopefully. "Really? There's a cure? What is it?"  
  
"Time."  
  
"Time?" She frowned. "You need to elaborate on that a little more."  
  
"It will fade with the full cycle of one moon."  
  
"A month?" She was flabbergasted. Though grateful that the blindness wasn't permanent, a month's time was a lot. "Oh, God," she said, as it all hit her. "That's too long. What am I going to do? I can't do any homework like this!" She shuddered at how much schoolwork and tests she'd have to make up. "And how can I go back to my family like this?" Her mother would never let her out of the house again if she knew about this. She grimaced. "I can't go home until I get over this but then where else am I supposed to go?"  
  
"Come with me."  
  
She froze. "What did you say?" She shook her head. "Never mind, I heard you the first time but why?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Okay, obviously that's one thing that's off limits." She took a deep breath. "But just answer me one thing. Does whatever it is that you want from me have to do with inflicting pain on me?"  
  
There was hesitation before he answered, "I do not believe so."  
  
She tilted her head, considering. Then she nodded. "Okay. So let me get this straight. There is something you want from me, correct?"  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
She puzzled over his answer. "Then, you need time to see if there's something you want from me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Are you strong?"  
  
There was a long pause this time and she got the feeling she'd insulted him with the question. Nevertheless he did answer though she felt that there was a hint of a growl lying beneath the low voiced "Yes."  
  
"Then," she barreled ahead, "I want to propose a bargain." When he was silent, she took that as a sign to go on to say, "For the time it takes me to get over my blindness, I want you to be my protector. That is, if you think you can handle it." She paused, feeling that she'd somehow insulted him again but continued, "And in that time, you can try and find out whatever it is that you want from me." She cocked her head. "Is that agreeable or do you need some time to think about it?"  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"Okay, then it's a deal," she said, relieved. She didn't know why she was so relieved since she'd just asked a virtual stranger to take care of her but she pushed the issue away to be tackled at a later date when she wasn't feeling quite so drained. Then she stiffened, realizing something that she'd forgotten all about and gasped, "Inuyasha! Oh, my God! What's he going to think when I don't come back?" She turned to her mystery rescuer with a worried expression. "You didn't by any chance happen to see a hanyou with long white hair and a pair of ears did you?"  
  
"No," he said shortly.  
  
"Oh." She was a bit disappointed, sure that Inuyasha would have come for her. "Maybe I didn't scream loud enough," she muttered under her breath. She shook her head. "Anyway, he'll be worried. Do you think you can take me back?"  
  
"No." It was very definite.  
  
"What? Why not?" She came up with a brilliant idea, wondering why she'd been so slow to come up with it. "That's it! I can stay at the village." She looked at him eagerly. "If you take me back, I won't be a burden to you anymore. I doubt you really want to take care of a blind human girl anyway."  
  
"I don't."  
  
"Well, then," she said, a bit irked.  
  
"But," he said coldly, "we have a bargain, you and I. Or are you the type of lowly human to break your word?"  
  
She stiffened. "I'm not! I always try to keep my word but this is the best deal all around. Blind, I'm only more of a hindrance than I usually am." She winced, remembering Inuyasha's words. "It's wrong of me to burden you after you saved me, after all."  
  
"So you would rather burden that tiny village?"  
  
"What?" She blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"  
  
"A village that small and poor. What good is a blind girl who is just another mouth to feed and can't do anything in return."  
  
"I didn't think of that," she said softly, deflated. Uncertainty crossed her features. "But aren't I just burdening you the same way?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Really? Why not?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Another no-no, huh?" She sighed. "Fine, then. If it's okay with you, I'll stay but I really do need to see Inuyasha and tell him that I'm alright." She bit her lip, worried. "He's the only one who knows where my home is and, since I don't want to go myself and let my family see me like this, I need him to go and tell them that I'll be gone for a month but that I'll be okay." Her expression grew darker. "If I just don't show up for that long, they'll worry about what's happened to me and I don't want that." She shook her head. "I don't want that at all." She looked up, determined. "If you don't take me back, I swear I'll make the next month painfully difficult to find out what it is that you want from me." She frowned. "Even though I don't know what it is."  
  
"I will not take you back." The tone was definite.  
  
"What?" Angry, she tried to stand on shaky legs. "Then, I'll just go myself."  
  
Suddenly, she felt herself being pushed back down, a presence in front of her radiating temper as he held her down easily despite her weak struggles that were no match for youkai strength. When she finally stilled her futile attempts, he let her go and she sat there, glaring up angrily.  
  
"This isn't over," she said heatedly. "I'll just keep trying again until I can tell Inuyasha that I'm alright."  
  
"He will be told."  
  
"He will?" She blinked. "But you just said you wouldn't take me back there."  
  
"I will not." She felt him moving away from her as he said, "You will stay here and not move. It is safer. I will go myself."  
  
"But you can't go by yourself!" she exclaimed. "How will you find him?"  
  
"A hanyou bearing white hair and ears will not be difficult to find."  
  
"Well," she said doubtfully, "I suppose that's true." She became worried again. "Wait! It's not a good idea. Inuyasha might attack you first before you say anything. You might get hurt."  
  
"I will not get hurt."  
  
He definitely sounded insulted to her ears, insulted and angry which was never a good combination in her experience when it came to dealing with anyone bearing youkai blood. She looked at her mystery rescuer warily.  
  
"You have to promise me you won't hurt him. He's got a lot of faults including a hot-temper but I don't want him injured in a fight about me. I wouldn't forgive myself." She scowled. "Promise me or else I won't let you go."  
  
"And just how," she detected a thread of amusement in the voice, "do you intend to stop me?"  
  
She flushed, embarrassed. "Well, I don't know." She tilted a chin up defiantly. "But I will definitely make you regret it one day if you don't promise."  
  
She felt silly, still, she didn't let up. She didn't know what made her make a pact with this stranger in the first place but she had and she had every intention of following through with it. But that didn't mean she was going to throw everything else away and she was determined to stick to her resolution to have Inuyasha know that she was alright and to see that he remained uninjured as well, at least on her account, the best that she could. So she kept up her defiant expression though the silence dragged on so long that she thought he'd never answer. But he did.  
  
"Very well." The tone was devoid of emotion. "You have my word. I will not bring injury to your friend."  
  
"Thank you." Kagome relaxed though she wondered briefly why it was that she trusted him. That, too, she pushed to the back of her mind as she fiddled around with the red tie on her uniform. She pulled it free and held it out. "Could you take this and give it to Inuyasha when you see him? It's something he'll recognize as mine so, if you show it to him, then hopefully he won't attack you at first sight."  
  
She felt the material sliding out of her hand as he accepted it wordlessly. Then, thinking, she tilted her head, peering up at the towering figure as best she could in her seated position without her sight.  
  
"I never told you my name, did I?" A slight smile of amusement tipped the corners of her lips. "It might come in handy considering that you're going to talk to Inuyasha about me, huh?" She shrugged. "Well, it's a little late for introductions but my name is Kagome." A curious expression crossed her features. "I don't suppose you'd care to tell me yours?"  
  
But there was only silence that met her as she felt the absence of his presence. 


	3. Mystery Upon Mystery

AN: Well, contrary to most opinions out there, I'm not of the same mind that the furry thing wrapped around Sesshoumaru is a tail. Mainly because I have a hard time picturing a long, furry thing extending from his butt when I imagine him naked. LOL But I admit that a tail is one theory; I've got a few different theories on what it is. One of them will be revealed in this fic but not until the next chapter so you're just going to have to wait until then. =P  
  
In the meantime, enjoy!  
  
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CHAPTER 3: Mystery Upon Mystery  
  
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It was completely dark.  
  
Still, even though she couldn't see anything as the velvet black of darkness enveloped her, she continued to walk and walk, filled with an odd certainty that there was something up ahead, someplace where she desperately needed to go. She didn't know what and she didn't know how or why she knew this but she felt strongly that there was something she was supposed to head towards and, never once questioning it or the strangeness of the situation, she went. She kept moving in the direction her instincts pulled her to, as if some unseen force was guiding her and showing her the path to take in this darkness where sight seemed absolutely meaningless.  
  
A glimmering caught her eyes and she quickened her pace, eager to reach it and discover what it was that was calling her. But her steps slowed the closer she got as she puzzled over the odd sight, wondering how such a thing could be.  
  
It was a wall of water.  
  
Curious, she reached out to touch the shimmering surface, rippling with glimmers of light that come from an undetermined source, but her hand was stopped by some sort of barrier that prevented her from coming into contact with it. It was strange and she pressed her face closer, wondering if she could catch a glimpse of whatever lay beyond that watery surface.  
  
Then she gasped, jerking back in surprise when something behind that wall of water moved, a shadowy figure that she couldn't make out as it was obscured by the rippling motions of liquid that flowed across the surface. Though she could make out no details, she was sure that whoever or whatever it may be was watching her and the knowledge sent a cold chill down her spine.  
  
The figure gestured and, with a small shriek, she suddenly found herself surrounded as the wall of water whooshed outwards and around her, engulfing her in its grasp.  
  
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Kagome's eyes flew as she sat up with a gasp, stifling the shriek that built up in her throat, pulse pounding and body shivering with remembered fright. Everything was dark and, for a second she thought she was still in that other place. But then the crackling of fire penetrated her senses and, slowly, her agitation settled until she could think more normally again.  
  
It was only a dream.  
  
She had no idea what it had been about or if there was any meaning to it at all but it certainly had been odd. As the memories of it became more vague, slipping away as she became more conscious, she finally chalked it up as a reaction to the stressful events she'd been though recently. After all, just thinking about all that had happened in just a short amount of time was exhausting enough, not to mention the upheaval the recent turn of events was going to wreak with her life.  
  
She sighed heavily, feeling drained and not very rested at all, realizing she must have drifted off to sleep after her mystery rescuer had left, hopefully to tell Inuyasha that she was fine, just as she had requested. It made her wonder how many hours passed since she'd been saved from that youkai attack. She couldn't have been unconscious for too long because she imagined that she would have felt more rested upon waking if she had, not to mention that she wouldn't have drifted off sleep again so quickly after she was left alone. Plus, since a fire had been built and was still crackling away, she thought that it was probably still dark out as such a thing would be unnecessary if the sun could be used as a source of light.  
  
Of course, daylight or the lack of it meant little to her at the moment.  
  
It was a truly depressing thought as the fear of how she would get along for the next month in this darkness worried at her, burdening her mind and dampening her spirit. After all, what she had said earlier was true: with this blindness of hers, there were very few options open to her and she was at the mercy of her rescuer whom she knew next to nothing about.  
  
But, strangely enough, despite his reassurances that weren't really all that reassuring, she felt herself trusting him for some reason. She couldn't figure out why, especially since she knew he was youkai, and it puzzled her immensely.  
  
Practical nature springing up, she decided to stop thinking about these thoughts that got her nowhere. They'd do no good in the end, other than giving her a massive headache, because she had struck a bargain, after all. For better or worse, no matter what was in store for her, she'd given her word and would have to see it through because she didn't like being labeled a liar that went back on her promise. She'd deal with any consequences that may arise from it as they came; that was all she could do for the moment. And in the meantime, while she and her rescuer were thrown together due to their bargain, perhaps she'd be able to pick up some clues as to whom he was. It gave her something to do, at any rate.  
  
But she needed him around to do it.  
  
She'd discovered during his absence that she dealt much better with her temporary blindness when she wasn't left alone with it. The darkness, being unused to it, made her wary of attempting to do anything on her own without someone to watch over and make sure her stumbling steps weren't leading her into a more dangerous situation, especially with memories of her recent terrifying bout with a youkai attack so fresh in her mind. And so she had remained pretty much just as her rescuer had left her, huddled by the fire and wrapped in fur with nothing to do but think useless thoughts churning in her mind that got her nowhere as she tried to chase away the loneliness made deeper by being by herself in the dark.  
  
Kagome clutched the fur tighter around her and waited, hoping he'd return soon.  
  
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It was useless.  
  
Still, even though he realized that, Inuyasha continued to search, trying to pick up any sort of trail that might lead him to the girl that he'd been too late to save from being carried off by his brother whom he had almost thought to be dead. But there had been no mistaking the scent that had been around the dead youkai as belonging to the one who, just a short time ago, he had fought with over the sword he now possessed. However, the scent's trail had ended a short distance away from the dead youkai and Inuyasha could only assume that his brother had taken to the air with Kagome so as not to leave any traces of their whereabouts behind. And now, try as he did, no matter how long he puzzled over it, Inuyasha just couldn't figure out what Sesshoumaru wanted with Kagome or, for that matter, why it seemed he'd rescued her from that hulking youkai in the first place.  
  
Of course, it could be for some sort of revengeful plan on Sesshoumaru's part.  
  
In the end, the answer didn't matter since Inuyasha was well aware of Sesshoumaru's distaste for humans and felt that whatever plans were in store for Kagome, they couldn't be good. The important thing was to find her before Sesshoumaru carried out his intentions towards her.  
  
"Inuyasha," Kaede spoke up from behind him. "Still, no luck?"  
  
Inuyasha stopped his fruitless sniffing to look up at her with those golden eyes of his. The answer was plain to see on his face as the old woman's keen eyes picked up the guilt the Inuyasha wasn't quite able to mask. Although he'd said nothing, Kaede had a feeling that Inuyasha was beating himself over the recent events even though there was really nothing he could have done to prevent them. She just hoped that he would come to realize that, too, as she was sure Kagome wouldn't want him to wallow in guilt either were she to have any say in it.  
  
Suddenly, she startled as Inuyasha took a quick leap before her. Worried as she observed his snarl and the battle stance he adopted, Tetsusaiga drawn, she notched one of her arrows, aiming in the general direction Inuyasha's glare was directed towards. She barely stifled a gasp of surprise as she observed the figure that came into view.  
  
"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha snarled. "What have you done with her?"  
  
Instead of answering with words, a swatch of red appeared in Sesshoumaru's hands and he tossed it at them with a sharp flick of the wrist.  
  
The streak of red sliced through the air for a moment before being immediately swiped by the snarling hanyou who was quick to bring the familiar piece of material to his nose. He was relieved that, upon recognizing the scent as belonging to Kagome, he could smell not even a hint of blood. Still, that didn't answer his question or even come close to giving him a clue as to her whereabouts.  
  
"Where is she?" he growled, Tetsusaiga pointed at his brother.  
  
Sesshoumaru merely stared back, expressionless as he pondered how to answer. He felt it beneath him to reply to such a rudely stated question asked by one who was obviously no match for him, sword or no sword. However, as much pleasure as he might take in refusing to give an explanation, it would only be a waste of time. And that was something he did not have much of as he had a feeling that it would be unwise to leave the girl alone on her own for too long. So, being the great tactician that he was, Sesshoumaru deigned to complete his task and replied in a straightforward manner.  
  
"She is safe," Sesshoumaru stated indifferently.  
  
"You expect me to just believe that?" Inuyasha glared.  
  
"Do you think that I, Sesshoumaru," his gold eyes narrowed, "am a liar?"  
  
"You lied about that youkai being my mother. So, yeah, why not?"  
  
"Are you truly so foolish?" Sesshoumaru's glance was disdainful. "Did I ever directly say 'This woman is your mother'? I omitted and arranged events so that it appeared such but I never actually lied. It was your own stupidity that made you believe it."  
  
"Why you-!"  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kaede barked sharply, halting Inuyasha from launching himself in attack. "If Kagome is safe and he's here, that means he wants something. Let him speak first before doing anything."  
  
"How surprising," Sesshoumaru commented. "Humans do have some intelligence after all." He glanced at Inuyasha. "Can it be that hanyou are even less than humans, then? Well, I have always suspected the sort, after all."  
  
Inuyasha snarled, seeing red.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kaede cried once again. When he stilled, she turned her frowning face to Sesshoumaru. "It would be best to speak quickly if there's a reason for you to show yourself like this."  
  
"Yes," Sesshoumaru mused, almost absently, as if uncaring about it. "He always did have a difficult time controlling himself." When Inuyasha might have tried leaping again, Sesshoumaru halted him by saying, "To immediately attack your elder brother like this when you know there's no chance of winning, you truly must be uncaring as to the girl's welfare."  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha snorted. "As if you dropped by just to tell us how she's doing!"  
  
"Oh, but I did." Sesshoumaru glanced at him coolly. "At her request."  
  
"I don't believe it!" Inuyasha declared loudly.  
  
"Take heed," there was an undertone of a warning growl to his voice, "lest you call me liar, little half-brother. I will not tolerate being labeled such so many times in one meeting, especially by you."  
  
"Feh." Inuyasha took a more aggressive stance. "I'm not afraid of you."  
  
"Then you truly are a fool." Sesshoumaru gazed back at him arrogantly.  
  
Inuyasha glared. "I took one arm; I can take the other one too!"  
  
"Stop, Inuyasha!" Kaede spoke sharply, authoritatively. Youkai blood or not, to her eyes they were behaving like children and she'd had enough of it. Turning to Sesshoumaru, she asked, "If you truly have come to tell us how she is, then please, how does she fare?"  
  
"She is well," Sesshoumaru replied calmly.  
  
"I see," Kaede sighed in relief.  
  
"You believe him?" Inuyasha asked of her incredulously.  
  
"Inuyasha," Kaede said wearily. "Calm down and think. No doubt, you know him better than I do. Do you really think he's the type to lie about something such as this?"  
  
At that, Inuyasha merely gave a wordless growl, body tensing and whirling to glare heatedly at Sesshoumaru who was looking upon the scene with a coolly indifferent expression, as if bored with it all. Taking Inuyasha's relative silence as a measure of agreement and hoping that he'd control his aggressive tendencies, Kaede resumed her questioning of Sesshoumaru.  
  
"Please," she said, glancing at the youkai lord worriedly. "Can you tell us what happened to her?"  
  
"Very well."  
  
Though he masked it well, he did have much experience in concealing his emotions after all, Sesshoumaru was supremely irritated. What was it with these humans and their need for explanations? But in the interest of saving time, he deemed it best to be as quick as possible and not let himself be sidetracked again with any outbursts Inuyasha might make. Much as it might gall, he should ignore Inuyasha, no matter what taunting words passed that hanyou's temper-inciting lips, so that he could return as soon as he could. With that thought in mind, he went about explaining, keeping in mind his promise with the girl.  
  
"I slew that low-level youkai." He slid a glance at the old woman. "I assume you found the corpse?"  
  
"Yes, we did," Kaede nodded.  
  
Inuyasha just grunted.  
  
"It was about to kill the girl, that Kagome, before I slew it and rescued her," Sesshoumaru said, ignoring Inuyasha's antagonistic glaring. "Now, she is somewhere safe. However, she is also blind."  
  
"Blind!" Kaede exclaimed, horrified.  
  
"Bastard!" Inuyasha snarled immediately. "What did you do to her?"  
  
"I did nothing." Sesshoumaru glared coldly, claw flexing as irritation swam through him at the unjust accusation. Only his promise held him back. Still, he had to make it clear that it would not be tolerated. "Truly, you insult me too much this night." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Have great care before you start something you cannot hope to win."  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kaede snapped harshly before the hanyou could let loose another scathing word that would spark a physical fight and forestall any further revelations as to Kagome's condition. "Enough of your bickering! Be quiet and listen to all he has to say before you do anything. I mean it." She shot Inuyasha another stern look before turning back to Sesshoumaru. "Forgive him. He's hot-tempered and foolish and just doesn't know better."  
  
"Kaede-baba!" Inuyasha cried, insulted.  
  
"That is true," Sesshoumaru conceded, relaxing.  
  
Inuyasha glared.  
  
"Please, continue with your explanation," Kaede said, ignoring Inuyasha's grumbling. "How did she come to be blind?"  
  
"Her eyes were touched by that youkai's blood," Sesshoumaru replied calmly, also paying no attention to Inuyasha's hostile mutterings. "For one moon's cycle, she will be without sight."  
  
"It's only temporary then," Kaede sighed, relieved.  
  
"Yes." Sesshoumaru inclined his head imperiously. "The girl, Kagome, requested that I come and bring reassurance about her welfare. She gave me that," he spared a glance at the red cloth still clutched in Inuyasha's grip, "hoping it would forestall any fighting upon recognition. She also desired for Inuyasha to inform her family that she was well and would be gone for," he searched for the odd word she had used, "a month. Apparently, she does not wish for them to know about the extent of her condition."  
  
"I see," Kaede said, risking a glance in Inuyasha's direction.  
  
Inuyasha frowned as he thought about Sesshoumaru's words, rolling them through his mind.  
  
What Sesshoumaru said certainly seemed like what Kagome would want from what Inuyasha knew of her personality so far. Plus, Sesshoumaru had used that word 'month' that Inuyasha had heard Kagome use. The only way Sesshoumaru could have knowledge of that word would be if he had actually carried on some semblance of a conversation with her. Also of some reassurance was the cloth, a brilliant red color he'd never seen matched in any other material of this era, that he recognized from Kagome's outfit. The fact that it did carry her scent strongly, and without the taint of her blood too, meant that it came from her recently. Though Sesshoumaru could have killed her without spilling blood, Inuyasha didn't think it likely, not really believing he'd go through so much effort to proclaim otherwise.  
  
Then, there was how Sesshoumaru knew Kagome's name, a rare event since he usually didn't bother with anyone's name if he didn't think they were important enough, especially a human's. And, much as he was loath to admit it, Inuyasha knew that Sesshoumaru wasn't the type to fake coming to someone on friendly terms; he was more the directly confrontational type when it came to preference.  
  
Plus, there was something else that bothered Inuyasha.  
  
"Hey," he addressed Sesshoumaru. He glanced at his brother's shoulder, the area of which was usually wrapped in fur. "Where is it?"  
  
For one silent moment, Sesshoumaru regarded Inuyasha impassively. Then he answered simply, "With her."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened, barely biting back a gasp of surprise at the announcement. Sure, he had expected it but having his suspicions confirmed was something else altogether. And the implications of the revelation had all the hairs on his body prickling as they stood on end.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kaede inquired worriedly upon seeing his expression. "What is it?"  
  
"Later," he bit out tersely, all his attention focused on his brother. Regarding Sesshoumaru's impassive features, Inuyasha asked warily, "Do you have any idea of what you've done?"  
  
Sesshoumaru's expression stated how just foolish he thought the question.  
  
Though the look made him bristle, Inuyasha continued to question, "Why did you take her?" He tensed. "To trade for the Tetsusaiga?"  
  
"I do not need a human to take it away from you," Sesshoumaru replied disdainfully. "Today is not for retrieving Father's sword so you may rest easy on that at least. For now."  
  
"Then why?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you searching for the Shikon shards too? Is that why you took her?"  
  
"For that, too, I have no need of human aid." For a brief moment, Sesshoumaru wondered what the girl had to do with finding Shikon shards but he had no desire to profess his ignorance on the subject so he remained silent, tucking it in the back of his mind to be dealt with at a later date. "Besides," Sesshoumaru continued coolly, "unlike a hanyou such as you, I have no need to seek magical enhancements from something as artificial as the Shikon no Tama." His lips sneered disdainfully. "It was created due to a human, after all."  
  
"If you're not interested in it," Inuyasha growled in irritation, "then why do you still have the shards? Why didn't Kagome give you those to hand over to me so that I'd know for sure that you weren't up to something?"  
  
That was something Sesshoumaru did not know as well and was also loath to profess ignorance to. But it was certainly an interesting question that he hadn't thought of before, the answer of which he wished to ponder later. For now, he had to deal with the suspicious hanyou.  
  
"You may ask her that yourself," Sesshoumaru stated calmly. "When she returns."  
  
"You're giving her back?" Inuyasha asked warily.  
  
Inuyasha wondered what the hell was going on. What in the world was going through that complex head of his? For sure, something important had to be up as there was no way Sesshoumaru would rescue a human girl out of the goodness of his heart and let her go so easily, not unless he had some sort of plan in mind. But what the hell was it that he was planning?  
  
"Yes," Sesshoumaru replied easily. Then he added, "In one moon's cycle."  
  
"You're keeping her?" Inuyasha asked incredulously. "For that long?"  
  
Sesshoumaru didn't even deign to reply, feeling such questions beneath his notice. Also, he believed he had said everything that needed to be said and had fulfilled his promise to the girl properly as she had requested. Duty done with the need to return hastily pressing upon him, he turned to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Inuyasha cried urgently as Sesshoumaru launched himself into the air, rapidly journeying further away. "Why are you doing this?!" Inuyasha yelled. "What do you want with her?!"  
  
The rustling of wind was his only reply. 


	4. Memories of Old

AN: Well, I should learn not to make promises when it comes to writing. I think I said in the last chapter that I'd reveal one of my theories on that fluffy thing Sess carries in this chapter. And I did, sort of. It's partially revealed (more to come later on) and, since it has some importance in this fic, I decided to be respectful and give it a name. Yes, that's right, a name. Don't remember if anyone's ever done that before but for this fic, it does have a name. More on that later too.  
  
Anyway, many, many thanks to reviewers who darn near scared me with how many reviews I got the last chapter – who would have thought? But they were all encouraging and I'm glad to see that so many people are enjoying this fic, I'm just sorry I was so slow in getting this chapter out. And, also, thanks again to Claudia and Alexis for beta reading.  
  
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CHAPTER 4: Memories of Old  
  
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Gliding through the darkness rapidly as he headed towards his destination, Sesshoumaru found his thoughts preoccupied with the recent encounter he'd just had with his half-brother. It had turned out to be more interesting than he had imagined it would be, on many accounts.  
  
He should have realized that Inuyasha would know.  
  
Sesshoumaru spared the briefest of thoughts pondering what the hanyou would make of the fact that he'd been without his kaminohogo. Though it was doubtful Inuyasha could know all of what it meant, he knew enough to realize the implied importance. But, in the end, what Inuyasha thought didn't matter as that would not deter him from his goal, which may or may not be the girl who waited for him. Inuyasha, on the other hand, bore no importance to his plans at all and it would be best, though unlikely to happen in his opinion, if the hanyou stayed out of his way. But whether he did or didn't - that, too, mattered little in the end.  
  
After all, his promise to the human concerning his half-brother was only for this night.  
  
If the hanyou interfered too much in the future, he could just kill him.  
  
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An ominous chill shivered down his spine as Inuyasha made his way back to the village with Kaede. Though he cast a wary eye around, his senses picked up no sign of danger nearby so he ignored it as he turned his attention back to Kaede, resuming his questioning of the old woman.  
  
"Are you absolutely sure I need Kagome to find the Shikon shards?"  
  
"Yes," Kaede confirmed. "Though there are no doubt many, many pieces scattered about, you might stumble across a few by dumb luck. But after you have gathered more and the number of shards left to find becomes less, the rest of them become more difficult to discover and can't be left to mere chance. And since you, Inuyasha, cannot sense the shards, even if you do stumble across someone or something that is in possession of one, how will you be able to tell where he or she has hidden it?"  
  
"Dammit!" he cursed. "That damn girl! She's always giving me problems!"  
  
"I find it difficult to imagine how it is Kagome's fault that your brother decided to carry her off."  
  
"It is. I don't know how or why, but it just fucking is!"  
  
Kaede just heaved a sigh. Though Inuyasha would most likely be the last to deny it, she had the feeling his harsh words and temper stemmed from his own worry about Kagome. Actually, she was surprised Inuyasha hadn't immediately gone rushing after Sesshoumaru when he'd taken off. Oh, Inuyasha had certainly cursed, his foul language increasing with his temper, but he'd still stayed behind with her until he'd abruptly turned back towards the village. It was definitely puzzling.  
  
"Hey," Inuyasha said suddenly. "How can she find the shards if she's blind?"  
  
"That does not matter. One does not need eyes to sense the presence of the shards."  
  
"So she can still find them even if she's like she is?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Great!" He gave a feral grin. "Then if she's still useful, that means I have to go get her. Especially if she still has the Shikon shards!"  
  
Kaede cast a baleful glance at the excited expression on his face. It seemed he wanted an excuse to go after her, and not just because of the shards. She supposed it wasn't that surprising since from what she'd seen of him, Kagome was the closest thing he'd ever had to a friend. Once friendship had been sown in the fields of loneliness, it was a difficult thing to go back and part of Inuyasha's desire to go after Kagome stemmed from wanting his companion back. Still, she didn't think Sesshoumaru would let Kagome go so easily.  
  
"Are you not worried about having to confront your half-brother?" she asked.  
  
"Feh! I can deal with him easily."  
  
"Hmm." She eyed him doubtfully.  
  
"What?" He glowered at her. "You don't believe me?"  
  
"I believe that you should use caution. He is dangerous and if you proceed too hastily, Kagome will be caught between the two of you and may end up being the one hurt. After all, there is no love lost between you, is there?"  
  
"I hate the bastard more than anything and I know he'd say the same," Inuyasha snorted.  
  
"Oh? Then if you despise him so much, why are you not rushing after him?"  
  
"He pretty much said he'd bring her back alive. Since he usually sort of keeps his word, I thought I'd let him deal with the problems of taking care of a blind girl if he wants to so badly." He snorted. "Who would have thought he'd lower himself to associating with humans?"  
  
"You were planning to just hand her off to him?" Kaede gasped, a bit aghast.  
  
"What?" He glowered. "He said he'd give her back after her eyes were fixed. I figured she'd be less of a hindrance if I looked for the shards on my own." He shrugged. "But since you said she can still sense the shards, guess I can still make use of her."  
  
"If the shards are so important to you, then why are you not going off to look for her now?"  
  
"Why do you think?" He cast her a dark glare. "I've got to tell her family not to worry first. How much help do you think she'd be willing to give me when I get her back and she finds out I didn't tell them anything that would keep them from worrying?" He shuddered, thinking of how she'd 'sit' him to death. "It's easier this way."  
  
"But if time elapses, won't it be more difficult to find her?"  
  
"I'll manage. She's blind. That's got to slow even Sesshoumaru down. I'm sure it won't take me long to find her."  
  
"And what if he does not desire to give her back? There is some reason, after all, for him to have taken her in the first place."  
  
"Then it's a fight." He sneered. "I'll be looking forward for another chance at beating that bastard."  
  
Kaede sighed and shook her head. "To have that much dislike for him, do you really think it's wise to leave Kagome in his hands?"  
  
"Yeah." He shrugged, looking irritated and uncomfortable as he tried to justify his actions with his dislike of his brother. "I hate the bastard but he has a use for her so I doubt he'll do much to her. Also, he's not the type to waste his time torturing the weak and since she's human and a girl, I think he'll leave her alone for the most part unless she does something stupid. Hopefully, she's smarter than she looks." He frowned. "Although I have my doubts on that because, from the way Sesshoumaru sounded, it seemed like she made some kind of agreement with him. There's no other explanation that I can come up with since he's not the type to just swing by and tell us how she's doing out of the goodness of his heart. And making any kind of pact with him seems like a pretty stupid thing to do to me considering what she's seen him do before."  
  
"Kagome is a mysterious child. Perhaps she senses something in him that you do not."  
  
Inuyasha just snorted.  
  
"Do you have any idea what it is that he wants from her?"  
  
"No." And the not knowing worried him though he tried not to let it show. "But she is important to him somehow."  
  
"Why do you sound so sure of that?"  
  
"Because he left it with her."  
  
"It?"  
  
"His kaminohogo."  
  
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'Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep. Don't fall asleep.'  
  
She kept telling herself that over and over again but it was difficult to stay awake. It was easier to be lulled into sleep with darkness and that was the one thing she wasn't able to do anything about for now. Even the sounds of the crackling fire became a low chanting lullaby that seemed to be coaxing her into that unconscious other world. And it didn't help that the silky fur that cocooned her held a soothing quality as it blanketed her with its warmth.  
  
But she was determined to stay awake until her mystery rescuer came back so she stiffened her resolve, occupying herself with stroking silky fur in an effort to keep sleep at bay.  
  
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Tingles rippled across his skin and, while pleasurable, it left him silently cursing as he quickened his pace. But the tingles continued on and on, washing him in a pleasure that was both soothing and stimulating at the same time, a combination that he would have thought impossible until now. However, they only cause his thoughts to grow darker as he rushed as fast as he could, the need to get to his destination pressing down upon him with ferocity.  
  
He had to put an end to it.  
  
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"His what?" Kaede asked in puzzlement. "What might that be?"  
  
"I don't know all the details exactly. My memories from growing up a bit fuzzy after all these years." Inuyasha frowned as he tried to recall. "But I vaguely recall my dad having one when I was a kid. Sesshoumaru too. Both of them always had a length of fur that was wound around them when they took up human form. Since they were never seen without it, as a kid I used to think that it was a furry tail that all full-blooded inuyoukai had when they walked around as humans did."  
  
"But it is not?"  
  
"No. It's not."  
  
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It was cool and familiar as it shivered down her spine.  
  
She straightened at the tingling sensation, perking up as the drowsy lassitude that had been threatening to overtake her and pull her into the land of sleep no matter how much she tried to distract her tired mind by engrossing herself with stroking the silky fur. That repetitive action had taken on a soothing rhythm of its own and she'd nearly been on the verge of drifting off to slumber again. But now she felt herself becoming more alert, her mind shaking off its sluggishness as she gazed expectantly in the direction where she thought the entrance to this place was.  
  
He was coming.  
  
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He was almost there.  
  
Relief at the realization was nearly as strong as the rage that was bubbling beneath his cool exterior. He felt on the verge of snarling as his newest charge consumed his thoughts, none of them very pleasant at all. He silently cursed the complications his life had taken, reviling himself, this situation, and especially her because all of this was because of her. It didn't matter whether she understood what was going on or not, it was still her fault that his life was undergoing this strange twist that he could see no good coming from, no matter what the scryer had foretold.  
  
But the fortune had been vague and not given to names. There was a chance that he had chosen the wrong one. He'd just have to make sure whether or not she was the one that he needed. And if she was, things would definitely undergo a major change, one that she might take it into her mind to protest. It was not a pleasant prospect for him for he was sure that she would bring her own share of trouble into the mix.  
  
Well, he'd find a way to deal with her. He was sure of it.  
  
Another tingling wave washed over him, fueling his furious ire that rode him with increasing urgency as his destination came into view. Gold eyes flashed in the darkness as he approached in a rush, purposeful determination swelling within him as the distance between him and her shortened.  
  
It was time to make her stop.  
  
Grim resolution, laced with a fury that seethed within, ran rampant through every fiber of his being as he reached his destination. He approached and passed through the darkened point of entrance, continuing on until the light from the fire became brighter and she appeared within his line of sight, causing him to come to an abrupt halt.  
  
He stared.  
  
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"Then what is it?" Kaede asked.  
  
"Feh," he snorted. "I'm hanyou. You think anyone wanted to lower themselves to answer my questions as a kid? Aside from my mother, I hardly ever talked with anyone else. I never learned much about it other than its name."  
  
"What about your father? Did he not tell you anything about it?"  
  
"He was gone most of the time." Inuyasha scowled. "And the few times I remember him coming to visit, he usually spent it with my mother."  
  
"I see. Then you really do not know much about what it is."  
  
"No," he admitted grudgingly. "But I do know that it's very important to him. I remember one time when I was very small, I accidentally ran into Sesshoumaru. For the most part, he ignored me as if he was too good to associate with me in any way but I was fascinated by his kaminohogo and, without thinking, reached out to touch it." He grimaced. "I'd never gotten so much reaction from him before. I almost thought I'd never be able to walk again. Probably wouldn't have if my dad hadn't come along and put a stop to it. And I remember my mother taking me aside afterwards and warning me very seriously to never, ever go after an inuyoukai's kaminohogo although she never told me exactly why." He paused in deep thought. "I'd never seen her as serious as she was then."  
  
Kaede's wrinkled face creased in frown. "Then what does it mean that Kagome seems to have possession of it?"  
  
She cast him a worried glance, troubled at the distant look she observed upon his face. Gold eyes flickered with what might have been concern as they gazed out into the darkness beyond.  
  
"I don't know," Inuyasha finally said. "I don't know."  
  
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Here's the explanation for the name (for those who care – those who don't can just ignore the rest of this) since I didn't want to clutter up the AN section too much just before the chapter.  
  
Anyway, the name. Japanese names frequently have layered meanings. Yes, the fluffy thing is dubbed 'kaminohogo' which is something I came up with after playing around with Japanese words. The word 'kami' means 'god' or 'deity.' The 'no' is the particle 'of' while 'hogo' means 'protection.' So my translation of the meaning is 'god's protection' or 'protection of god.' But it's also a kind of pun since, if you can's see the kanji or character for what the word stands for, another meaning for 'kami' is 'hair.' And considering Sess's ego, of course the 'kami' really stands for 'god' but I just like the little bit of silliness it could be.  
  
Okay, lesson over. See you next time around! 


	5. Laying Down Rules

AN: Apologies to everyone who waited so long for an update to this fic. After my computer crashed and I lost the first version I had of this chapter, I was disheartened about having to write the whole thing over again from scratch. But all the wonderful reviews and emails everyone sent my way were really encouraging (over 80 reviews on the last chapter alone – WOW! – almost died from the shock ) so I did my best to get this rewritten for the start of the year. And it's my longest chapter for this fic yet!  
  
Also, many thanks to my beta Alexis (Claudia – where are you? sniffles) who looked this over and kept prodding me about the wait. Part of the reason that got me going, she is.  
  
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CHAPTER 5: Laying Down Rules  
  
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She was smiling in his direction with an open and welcoming manner, unseeing eyes sparkling and reflecting the dancing flames of the fire as she appeared for all the world as if she was happy that he had finally returned and was there with her once more. She was an unexpected sight meant to be warm and comforting, perhaps even inviting.  
  
Sesshoumaru found it highly disturbing.  
  
He stood in frozen stillness as he regarded her warily with no small degree of suspicion floating across his thoughts. No one aside from Jaken had ever expressed such joy upon having him return and he could not quite place her on the same level as his erstwhile and groveling toady vassal from whom such behavior was somewhat to be expected. However, this human had no such ties to him and showed no awareness to date that revealed she had any true knowledge of who he really was.  
  
But that was not the only thing that was bothering him. He had entered silently as was his nature and there was no way her feeble human hearing could have picked up any sounds of his stealthy return, so the happy light that seemed to illuminate her sweetly glowing features could not have anything to do with him for she could not possibly realize that he was before her now.  
  
So then why was she smiling?  
  
"Welcome back."  
  
Well, apparently, she did know of his entrance after all. But the question was - how? A normal human shouldn't have been able to detect his presence, but the fact that she had left him with the question of just exactly what was she that allowed her to possess such ability?  
  
"Well, are you going to say anything or just stand there like a frozen statue?"  
  
A hint of irritation crept through him at her tone, causing the banked flames of fury that had been mysteriously doused previously with the unexpectedness of coming across her smile to flicker to life once more. As for her, her smile had faded away to be replaced with a slight scowl that clearly indicated the beginnings of an irritation of her own. The sight had his annoyance level surging even higher, especially with the demand inherent in the rush of her next words.  
  
"Come on! Stop being so broody and quiet. At least tell me how thing went. Did you see Inuyasha? How was he? He didn't give you too many problems, did he? I hope he didn't attack you right off the bat. Did you give him my message? You did give him all of it, didn't you? And what was his response? Did he say he'd go and tell my family that I'm okay? And did he say anything that he wanted me to know? And what about your promise? You did keep your promise not to hurt him, didn't you? If you didn't, then I'll never forgive you. Well? Why so quiet? Why don't you answer?"  
  
"Perhaps I would if I were given the chance to respond."  
  
"Hey! There's no need to take that tone with me. I think my questions are pretty reasonable. Especially since you're not exactly forthcoming with the answers on your own."  
  
"Humans and your questions." Disgust laced his tone. "Between you and that old woman with that worthless hanyou, peace and quiet is impossible to obtain."  
  
"Old woman? With Inuyasha?" Her eyes widened. "Kaede-baba? She was there? An old miko with an eye patch?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You didn't do anything to her, did you?"  
  
"No."  
  
His tone was frosty enough to make her wince. "Sorry. Just checking." She blinked. "Hey, you just said she was with Inuyasha. That means you did find him, didn't you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did he seem alright to you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And you gave him my message?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"All of it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You didn't hurt him, did you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Do you think you can give more than one word answers?" she asked with exasperation. "It would be nice if you explained what happened without me having to constantly shoot questions at you to find out what I want to know."  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"At least that was more than one word," she muttered under her breath. "Listen," she said in as reasonable tone as she could manage, "can't we work out some sort of trade?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, if you'd stop being so non-talkative and answer my questions so that I don't feel quite so much like I'm pulling teeth, then I might be more willing to return the favor. You do have questions you want to ask me to find out whatever it is you want to know from me, right? Well, then. Don't you think I'd be more cooperative if you weren't so close-mouthed?"  
  
He carefully weighed her words in his mind. It was true. He did have many questions he wished to ask of her, even more had risen after his encounter with Inuyasha, and it would be pleasant to extract the answers from her with as little fuss as possible as the depths of her stubbornness that streaked her personality were coming into light. If she got it into her head to be difficult about providing him the answers he sought, he had no doubt that he'd be able to get them with a little time and torture, no matter how stubborn she was. The only problem with that method was that it would likely leave her incapacitated and useless to him if he needed her healthy and whole, especially since she did not possess the healing ability of youkai to overcome excessive damage. It was irritating but, clearly, it would be best to humor her a little in the interest of saving time.  
  
And time was something that he did not have much of to waste.  
  
"Ask your questions."  
  
She smiled, taking his brusque words as assent. "Okay, first off – what day is it? I'm a little disoriented about the time. All the stuff that's happened recently has thrown me off. Is it day, night, what?"  
  
"Night." He hesitated a moment then offered more. "The same night of your attack."  
  
"I see." She was mildly surprised. "I wasn't sure how long I'd been unconscious."  
  
"Not long."  
  
"Apparently." She tilted her head inquiringly. "So. How was your meeting with Inuyasha? Did he believe you when you told him about me?"  
  
"I believe so."  
  
"How did he take the news?"  
  
"Not well."  
  
She grimaced. "Figures. Bet he's mad at me because I won't be around to help him detect shards for a month."  
  
That was an excellent opening to a question that had been bothering him. "He wondered why you had not handed me the fragments of the Shikon no Tama to give to him as a gesture of trust and assurance." He hid his interest from his voice. "It was an excellent question. Why not let the hanyou have the fragments instead of giving him a piece of cloth?"  
  
"You have to ask?"  
  
He didn't say anything; he merely continued to look at her.  
  
"Gee, I thought it was perfectly obvious. Why, it's to protect him, of course."  
  
Whatever he'd expected her reply to be, that wasn't it. "You, a human, seek to protect a hanyou?"  
  
"What's wrong with that? He's a friend. Well, sort of."  
  
He puzzled over it and was left with even more questions. "And how could you possibly hope to achieve his protection by retaining possession of the fragments? Unless, of course, you plan to use them yourself?"  
  
She snorted. "Don't be silly."  
  
Him? Silly?  
  
"I wouldn't do something like that. I know I'm not the smartest person in the world but I'm not that dumb either. I've never seen any of the pieces of the Shikon no Tama bring anything good to its users. They always seem to meet a bad end and I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to wind up like any of them."  
  
"Then why keep the fragments if you do not mean to use them? Simply being in possession of the fragments will attract trouble that you cannot possibly hope to win against, especially in your current state."  
  
"I know that. Why do you think I asked you earlier if you were strong?"  
  
"You expect me to protect you from those seeking the fragments?"  
  
"Well, you did promise, didn't you?" She bit her lip, suddenly looking uncertain. "I'm sorry. Maybe I should have mentioned it sooner? If it's too much trouble for you to handle, feel free to wash your hands of me and take me back to Inuyasha."  
  
"I can handle anything," he said shortly. He bristled at the implication that he, a full-blooded youkai, had not the power to handle the trouble and needed to pass it off to a lowly hanyou instead. "Do not forget your promise to be under my protection until one moon's cycle, human. I will not tolerate the breaking of a vow made to me."  
  
"And I," she growled through angrily gritted teeth, "won't tolerate being called 'human' constantly for an entire month, especially in that icy holier-than-thou tone. My name is Kagome. Ka. Go. Me. Got that?"  
  
"Do not overstep your station by seeking to order me. I shall call you whatever I please."  
  
"Not if you expect me to respond."  
  
"You shall - or you will suffer the consequences. And you will not like them."  
  
"Oh, please." She snorted in disgust. "I absolutely cannot believe this! You - you're just like Inuyasha – he keeps calling me just about anything but my name too."  
  
How DARE she put him on the same level as that hanyou?! His muscles trembled with the effort to control his sudden killing rage that seemed to burst through him from out of nowhere, the restraint on his tightly held temper slipping more and more away from him with every word she uttered.  
  
"You know, at this point, I don't really don't see how trading one so- called 'protector' for another is making much of a difference, especially when it sounds like I'll need protecting from my protector! It's like switching to another Inuyasha with an egotistic aristocratic complex. I'm really starting to think that I would just be better off with the original Inuyasha anyway. At least he can be bribed into a better temper with food."  
  
One twist, just one twist was all it would take.  
  
The thought rang in his mind with disturbing force as he stared with a concentrated fixation at that fragile ivory length of her neck that seemed to beckon his claw to wrap around it and give it one little snap. The longer he stared, the more it seemed to loom in his vision, blocking out all else while the blood pulsed in his head, pounding with demand that he satisfy the insult done him with the death of the one who had caused it.  
  
But no matter how satisfying, that action might not be worth the consequences.  
  
The rage abated and he suddenly became aware of a layer of calm folding around him, soothing him. It would not have been such a disturbing realization but for the fact that it had not occurred due to his own will.  
  
He looked to Kagome and noticed how her face shown with a light sheen of sweat while her chest heaved was in ragged pants, as if struggling to breath after a long hard run, while her fingers worked restlessly, stroking the pale fur still wound around her in continuous gestures that had soothing coolness washing over him in gentle pleasant waves. It was impossible, something that no one else, human or youkai, should be able to do for him.  
  
She was calming his inner beast.  
  
"Stop that!"  
  
She flinched at his snarl. "Stop what?" Her expression was baffled. "What did I do?"  
  
Excellent question. Even he was not quite sure of the answer. Still, he was required to do his best to shape things according to his plans, no matter how much the human kept throwing him off. And so he deliberately calmed himself, drawing in the oppressing aura which he had inadvertently released with his rage and slipping control and which she had, mysteriously, seemed to somehow have been able to detect with negative effects to herself. As his unusually turbulent emotions settled once more, he inwardly made note of how her breathing eased and her fingers ceased their restless fidgeting, lying still in her lap.  
  
He ignored the faint tug of disappointment he may have felt upon that last bit of observation. He had more important things to concentrate on – namely, laying down some ground rules.  
  
"What did I do?" Kagome repeated again, puzzled. "Is it because I mentioned Inuyasha?"  
  
His temper spiked at the name. Curse it all!  
  
"It is, isn't it?" asked Kagome. "I can't think of anything else I did to make you go all...all dark youkai power release-y."  
  
"First of all," Sesshoumaru held on tightly to his self-control, "attempt to restrain yourself to proper use of Japanese grammar. You're speech is strange, even for a commoner."  
  
Her lips twitched in a small smile. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Makes it difficult to communicate sometimes."  
  
"You will also," he continued on as if she had never spoken, "refrain from comparing me to a lowly hanyou vermin."  
  
Her eyes narrowed.  
  
"Furthermore, there is an issue I have with the stroking."  
  
Her expression went utterly blank. "Stroking?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Whoa, wait a minute!" She looked at him suspiciously. "This isn't some sort of weird youkai sex thing, is it? If it is, you're going to have to count me out. Because I have to tell you, I don't know exactly what it is you think about me but I'm definitely not the kind of girl who -"  
  
"That is not what I meant."  
  
"It isn't? Really?"  
  
"Yes," he nearly growled.  
  
"Oh, good," she said, relieved. Then she frowned. "So then, what did you mean? What stroking? I have to stroke something? It's not a body part is it?" She grimaced. "Or anything slimy and disgusting? Or -"  
  
"NO!" Sesshoumaru did something he rarely ever did – he gave an exasperated sigh. "Can you not cease your incessant prattling for one moment?"  
  
"Of course I can," she responded in a miffed tone. "All you had to do was ask."  
  
Repressing the strong urge to snarl, he bit out his words in precise syllables that even her feeble human mind couldn't possibly have trouble interpreting. "There is an item of mine currently in your possession and I demand that you desist with your stroking of it."  
  
"What? This?" She smoothed a hand over the soft fur.  
  
He shivered. "Stop that!"  
  
She did.  
  
"From this moment on, you will cease with your inappropriate fondling."  
  
"You make it sound so dirty," she said, disgust plain on her features. "And I still have no idea what the heck you're talking about. It's completely innocent."  
  
"Perhaps. Nevertheless, you should not be handling the possessions of others with such blatant familiarity."  
  
"Then you shouldn't have left something so precious with me – wrapped around me, no less! How 'familiar' do you think that is?"  
  
"I left it as a form of protection!"  
  
She blinked. "Protection? This? Really?"  
  
"Yes," he replied carefully. He'd said too much already.  
  
"But it's just a fur pelt!"  
  
"It is NOT 'just a fur pelt'!" he snapped back, instantly offended. "Do not speak such blasphemy."  
  
"What blasphemy?" She shook her head. "I don't get it. If this isn't 'just a fur pelt,' then what is it?"  
  
He fell silent.  
  
"Oh, no. Not this again. Look, you've got your secrets – everyone does. And I'm not asking you to tell me all of yours, no matter how curious I am. But when it concerns something so obviously important to you, don't you think I'd have a better idea of how to treat it if you'd explain to me just a little about what it is?"  
  
Her words were earnest, as was her expression. He stared at her, mulling over her words in his mind as he decided just how much he should tell her. It was a difficult decision; he did not speak of it to anyone.  
  
"It is...a special item," he finally said.  
  
"Well, I already know that. But why is it so special? You said it would protect me, but how?"  
  
"It can cloak your presence from others...beyond a certain distance."  
  
"It can? How? Does it have some sort of spell on it?"  
  
"Not a spell." He searched for the right word. "An enchantment perhaps."  
  
"What's the difference?"  
  
"Do you not know?"  
  
"Hey! I'm not that magically knowledgeable, remember? Or at least, not until recently anyway. And a little more effort at explaining would be very much appreciated, not to mention it might save you trouble in the future by improving my lack of knowledge now."  
  
Grudgingly, he admitted to himself that she did have a point. "Very well. Pay attention then for I will not repeat myself."  
  
"Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that."  
  
His eyes narrowed. "Then take heed. Enchantment is a type of mystical force that is already inherent in an object from its creation. A spell is a type that is placed by some other presence."  
  
"So whatever magical energy there is in this pelt has always been in it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Wow. Impressive. To have so much power left in it, this must have come from a pretty powerful animal."  
  
Animal?  
  
"One could say that," he responded tightly.  
  
"Boy, I'd definitely hate to get on the wrong side of his temper if the pelt is any indication of the owner's power."  
  
"A very wise decision." Satisfaction curled through him. The human was proving rather intelligent to deduce his power, even if she didn't realize it was him she was talking about.  
  
"And you must be pretty strong then, if you got this away from whatever it came from."  
  
He made a noncommittal sound.  
  
"So." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "This enchantment – how does it work exactly? How can it hide my presence?"  
  
"It masks the bearer's essence, his scent, his power, for a distance from others. However, the closer someone approaches it, the less effect it has."  
  
"It masks power, you say? Even the Shikon no Tama?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, that's definitely helpful. No wonder you wrapped me in it. It was to prevent others who are trying to find it from picking up traces of its power." She shook her head. "But you said it doesn't work on someone who's nearby? Isn't that when you'd most need to hide from an enemy? What do you do when you're discovered?"  
  
"Eliminate the enemy."  
  
"Oh, right. Forgot for a sec that I was talking to a battle-loving youkai."  
  
"Do not insult me when I am lowering myself to explanations for your feeble mind."  
  
"Didn't really think I was being insulting – just truthful."  
  
"And you believe that all youkai are hungry for battle?"  
  
"Well, I haven't seen much so far to change my mind. All the youkai I've seen to date seem to dive right into the fighting and bloodletting." An uncertain look flitted across her features. "Am I wrong?"  
  
"Did you never think that the youkai fight for survival? No doubt, it is a harsher living than humans are accustomed to, I am sure. Amongst our kind, from the highest to the lowest levels, there is a constant struggle for power that is always in motion, never ending. The more power one possesses, the safer one becomes from the threat of others who would turn away in fear rather than risk their lives against a more deadly opponent. The rule to survival in this world is to avoid confrontations when possible but, when it is not, to stand and fight until the end when confronted or be thought weak and spineless by potential enemies that would welcome the chance to descend and eliminate any threat to their own status and for their advancement upon the chain of power."  
  
"That's amazing!" she exclaimed, wide-eyed.  
  
"It is simply the way things are."  
  
"What? Oh, no – not that. I was actually commenting on your little speech – that's the longest thing you've ever said to me without my having to badger words out of you!"  
  
He stared. That's what had her so excited?  
  
"I mean, the other stuff is important too, but that's a pattern seen throughout history. The one who has power rules, survives, etcetera, etcetera. Except it's a double-edged sword as well, isn't it? You said yourself that enemies want to advance their power, so what better way than taking someone else's power? So I kind of seeing it as all balancing out in the end – get more power, get more enemies. All that effort and fighting, and everything still comes out even. Makes you wonder if it's worth it, doesn't it?"  
  
Of course, he had already thought of that particular side of the metaphoric coin. But he was impressed that she had come up with it on her own. And being one resistant to bestowing praise on another, he kept his silence.  
  
"Oh!"  
  
Her gasp had him focusing his full attention upon her once more. Her eyes were wide, the features of her face drawn into an expression that he could only interpret as...worried?  
  
"I'm sorry." Her tone was distressed. "I didn't realize."  
  
Realize what?  
  
"I didn't mean to put you in danger."  
  
He blinked. He had no idea what path her mind had jumped onto now. Following her thoughts was like trying to capture air. Only worse.  
  
"I can't believe it's taken me this long to figure it out."  
  
He wished she would share her conclusions.  
  
"Here." She disentangled herself from the fur and held it out to him. "Take it back. You obviously need it or you wouldn't have it in the first place."  
  
Ah. So that's what she meant. Amused as he had not been for a long, long time, he gave her a considering glance. To think that she thought to protect him – it was such an unlikely occurrence that it could not help but strike an odd chord within him.  
  
Then his golden eyes clouded with odd sort of consternation upon observing the unusual way his possession seemed to be moving, swaying almost with a will of its own towards the human. Even the numerous hairs upon it seemed to bend in her direction, as if entreating her to return it to its previous position – all of which escaped her unseeing eyes. Unfortunately, his eyes had not the same problem.  
  
And he did not like the implications.  
  
"Why aren't you taking it back?" She looked impatient. "My arm's starting to get tired."  
  
He snapped out of his musings. "Keep it. It is necessary if you wish to mask the presence of the fragments, and decrease the likelihood of engaging in battle with those who seek it."  
  
"That definitely would be nice. But what about you?"  
  
"You need not concern yourself with my welfare."  
  
"But you must have been using this to shield your presence from enemies – don't you need this too?"  
  
"I shall be making use of it as well."  
  
"Eh? How?"  
  
"Did you fail to take note of its length while it has been in your company?"  
  
"Ah." Understanding dawned. "We can both use it at the same time!" She frowned. "But won't that mean that we'd have to keep in close contact?"  
  
"You were expecting some other method? In your sightless condition?"  
  
She sighed. "I suppose I can tolerate it if it's the safest way to travel."  
  
"It is the wisest course."  
  
"Hmm." She pursed her lips. "But what's up with the stroking or, as you put it, the 'inappropriate fondling'?"  
  
How could he have forgotten? "It is what you will cease performing upon it from this point forth."  
  
"But why? Is there a reason for it?"  
  
Yes. But not one he was willing to divulge to her.  
  
"Does it," she bit her lip, "cause a problem with its protection ability?"  
  
Ever the strategist, he seized the opportunity she unwittingly offered to him. Besides, his careful choice of words told no lie, not to his mind.  
  
"It does create a disruption, yes. It disturbs the energy flow."  
  
"I see. Well, I don't want to do that." She gave a regretful sigh. "Guess I'll have to control myself. Won't be easy though. It's so soft and...fluffy. Makes me want to pet it."  
  
Slightly alarmed at the odd look in her eyes as she gazed in the direction of the object she held, as if she were about to reach out and follow through with her spoken urge, he was quick to put forth a forceful, "Control yourself!"  
  
"Okay, okay. Sheesh, there's no need to yell. I said I'd control myself and I will – no more petting, okay?"  
  
If he once again felt a stab of disappointment, he ignored it as he told himself that he was satisfied; he had accomplished one of his goals and had gotten her acceptance. Which was only to be expected considering his status and supremeness, no matter what difficulties she had presented. With that settled, everything else should fall in according to his plans and he could continue moving forward towards what needed to be done.  
  
"You know," she said thoughtfully, breaking into his thoughts, "I don't know if you heard me before you left earlier. But since we're going to be stuck with each other for quite a while, I think I should at least know the name of the person I'm traveling with."  
  
He stiffened as she turned an expectant gaze upon him.  
  
"So? What is it?" 


	6. All in a Name

AN: First off, I just want to thank everyone for their patience in waiting for updates for this story as well as thank the many people who have reviewed, emailed, or contacted me by AIM with their praise and insightful criticisms. They're wonderful encouragements and while I don't have time to respond to every single person, I'm trying something new where, if you want me to respond to you, just include your email address with your comments and I'll do my best to get back to you...just as long as I don't have to give away any plot points...  
  
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CHAPTER 6: All in a Name  
  
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She waited patiently.  
  
Well, patiently for her anyway.  
  
No doubt others, like the one in front of her, could have done better. But then, she was only human and prone to faults, right? So, after the first few minutes of silence that followed her inquiry while she waited for some sort, any sort, of response, she was suddenly struck with a very clear realization that she should have come to sooner.  
  
He wasn't going to tell her.  
  
Ever.  
  
No matter how long she waited.  
  
But then he probably had at least triple the length of her lifespan so she imagined that he could afford to outwait her, however short or long that span may be. And no matter how long it was that he could wait, that didn't mean that she could reciprocate in the same manner. After all, she didn't have that kind of time – or the inclination.  
  
Hmph! Youkai!  
  
They could be so enormously aggravating - especially the males of the species.  
  
She shook her head and resisted the urge to rub the ache that was beginning to build to a throbbing crescendo in her temple. Although, judging from the reactions her adopted protector inspired within her in less than a night's length of time, she doubted it would be long before she succumbed to the urge. Somehow, she got the feeling that she'd be doing a lot more of it than she cared to in the future – the near future!  
  
Well, at least he gave her something else to focus on besides her handicap.  
  
"You know, I'm going to have to call you something, especially if we're going to be together for a month. I can't be going 'hey, you' all the time. It's extremely rude...and my mother would never let me hear the end of it if she ever found out." She frowned. "Surely giving me your name can't be that big a deal?"  
  
Though there was no spoken response, she felt a nearly tangible sensation of displeasure wash over her and was certain that the youkai was most definitely not happy. And she was just as certain that he still wasn't going to tell her his name.  
  
She'd have to do something about that.  
  
A mischievous smile curled her lips and anyone who knew her well would have known that it meant trouble and to dive for cover. And though a curl of wisdom whispered that it wasn't wise to needle a strange youkai whose temper was unpredictable, the more whimsical part of her shoved it to the back of her mind in favor of her current chosen course of action. It was unfortunate that she was pushed to these measures, really, but some youkai just had to learn that not even they were exempt from certain consequences of their overbearing actions.  
  
"So you're really not going to tell me your name, are you?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"You sure you won't change your mind?"  
  
Again, as expected...silence.  
  
"Okay." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Then I guess I'll just have to come up with one for you."  
  
This time, the quiet atmosphere changed into a more...frozen stillness.  
  
"Hmm." Undeterred, she tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully. "Now what name should I call you?"  
  
"You intend to give me name?"  
  
There was a quiet menace laced in those aristocratically spoken words. And though it sent a cold chill slithering down her spine, she kept the most innocent expression she could manage on her face. She might have quaked were it not for, aside from the ready promise of violence inherent in his tone, the more amusing impressions of disbelief, morbid fascination, and wariness that she was also sensing from him.  
  
Of course, there was always the chance she was imagining that entirely.  
  
Nevertheless, ignoring the threat to her prolonged lifespan, she persevered enough to say in her most unconcerned manner, "Well, it's the only obvious thing to do, isn't it? I mean, I have to call you something. The only problem is figuring out what that something is."  
  
Another wave of obvious displeasure; she did her best to ignore it.  
  
"How do you like Tairiko? Fitting, don't you think?"  
  
The responding surge of dark energy swirling around her made breathing suddenly harder, letting her know he was just as intelligent as she had initially figured him to be with how quick he was in discerning exactly what meaning lay beyond the assigned name. Nevertheless, she wasn't about to give up. A girl had to get her kicks in somehow and the stoic youkai, whom obviously thought himself so superior to everyone else, deserved to have things shaken up, even if it was just a little. Besides, it wasn't as if the pulsing energy he emanated was really hurting her; it was only making her a little more uncomfortable.  
  
It was unfortunate for him that she had a high tolerance for discomfort.  
  
"But," she continued musingly, "maybe Yukihito would be better. It's such a cute name!"  
  
Another wave of displeasure crashed over her.  
  
"Or even Juuke."  
  
There was a shift, a subtle darkening this time in a way that seemed odd to her, causing uneasiness to creep upon her as she shifted restlessly. And she wondered – what the heck was going on?  
  
"Or I maybe Fuwafuwa," she tried for a sillier, more humorous note to lighten the atmosphere. "I really like that one."  
  
This time the wave smashed into her, practically knocking her over, which she thought was pretty impressive considering there was nothing physical to it. She sensed a strange kind of rage that tainted the power surge, as well as an odd feeling of fear that she found even more disturbing that what she'd felt before.  
  
And she didn't like at all.  
  
This wasn't the reaction she was trying to inspire. It wasn't the natural darkness inherent in youkai energy that bothered her this time, but the darkness of a more emotional state that tainted that energy that truly weighed down upon her. She wanted to tease the youkai, put him through a little embarrassing suffering that she was sure wouldn't come close to meeting what he was going to bring her way; she didn't want emotionally torment him, not like that at any rate.  
  
Though curiosity rose within her in regards to the source of his reaction to the name, she pushed it away. After all, she didn't know him well enough to pry into such a touchy subject yet. And, at the moment, she was more concerned with the guilt consuming her as well as the depression that was starting to sink into her with the continued taint of roiling darkness that she was responsible for bringing out, for making him feel whatever it was he was feeling.  
  
"Oh, I've got another one," she hastily said, on the verge of a strange sort of panic. She threw out the first thing that popped into her mind, eager to dispel the disturbing sensations enveloping her. "What about Andou?"  
  
The wave abated, to her extreme relief, retracting slowly as dark energy rolled over into something that was almost...content.  
  
Well, that wouldn't do at all either.  
  
While she didn't like the realization that the her previous name choice had instigated the strange sensations that had emanated from him, and was at odds with what little she knew from his strong and fearless personality, neither did she want him to actually like whatever she ended up choosing for him. That would defeat the whole purpose of this little exercise.  
  
Clearly, another name was called for.  
  
"But," she sighed happily, "I think my favorite is Yuusha!"  
  
Horrified embarrassment immediately swelled around her.  
  
Perfect.  
  
She grinned triumphantly, pleased with acquiring a name for her adopted protector that was not only truthful, but one that would surely irritate the annoying youkai to no end. Certainly, it was a name that no self- respecting youkai, trying to maintain a fierce reputation inspired by fear among his warrior-like kind, would want to be labeled with.  
  
In other words, it was just the name she was looking for.  
  
She figured that if he didn't tell her his real name right now in an attempt to spare himself any marring of his reputation, it would only take a few days of her addressing him as such for him to cave in. It was definitely an event she'd be eagerly anticipating.  
  
"Oh, yes!" She nodded enthusiastically. "It definitely suits you."  
  
Horrified silence prevailed. If she didn't know better, she would have thought that she had stunned the normally reticent youkai so much that he was actually left speechless!  
  
Well, she could fix that too.  
  
"Mm-hmm. That certainly fits you best out of all the other names. We'll just go with that then, shall we?"  
  
There was a low muffled sound...but that was it.  
  
"We can't just stop at that though," she continued brightly, and vaguely hoped he wasn't actually choking on whatever he was trying to say. "Something else is needed. But what, what, what?" She hummed musingly for a bit then suddenly snapped her fingers. "Ah hah! I know what else we need – an honorific!"  
  
Another small sound; she trusted that he would remember to exhale.  
  
"And since it's fairly clear that you're a youkai with some sort of exalted station, I think we can pretty much rule out 'Yuusha-chan.' Well, unless you really like it."  
  
A faint noise; she thought it was a softly voiced 'no' and had the impression he was trying to regroup himself. All in all, she was quite pleased with how everything was proceeding.  
  
"Yeah, I didn't think so. Now, what else is there? Yuusha-san? No, not enough respect. Maybe Yuusha-dono? Nah, that doesn't sound quite right either. I'd go with Yuusha-ouji but I don't know if you really are one." She wrinkled her nose. "Plus, it sounds really weird. I think we'll just have to settle for Yuusha-sama." She nodded decisively. "Yes, definitely. It's all properly respectful and everything."  
  
"It's terrible." His voice was harsh, raspy, as if he were having difficulty speaking. "They are all terrible!"  
  
"Hey!" She adopted an injured tone. "I did my best to come up with names to suit you."  
  
"Do. Better."  
  
Her lips twitched at the precisely spoken, or growled, words. "Now, now. Don't be like that. What else am I to call you?" Her words turned coy, "Unless you actually changed your mind about telling me your real name?"  
  
A long silence followed, practically vibrating eerily with its very stillness; a barely leashed fury building beneath the calm if she was correctly interpreting the dark energy that seemed to be coalescing around her. Uneasy, she had the belated thought that perhaps she shouldn't have taken things so far even as the air seemed to thicken, making it harder to breathe as she trembled, skin tingling electrically while struggled to control her reactions.  
  
Then she stiffened, cried out into the enveloping darkness that echoed the sound of shock back to her as an onslaught, a tidal of wave of tainted energy more powerful than she'd ever felt before, threatened to drag and bury her under it's consuming blackness. She fell forward, palms slapping flat against the earth to halt her descent while her arms shook with taut effort to keep her upper body from completely collapsing to the ground. Her head drooped while her shoulders sagged, hands fisting in the dirt as she panted, concentrating so fiercely on the difficult task of laboring for her next breath that she was only dimly aware of the impression of movement approaching nearer to her.  
  
"This youkai will not be maneuvered."  
  
The cold rage in those words came from directly above her, pelting her with their ice. Still too focused on the struggle for air, she couldn't voice a reply even if she'd wanted to; she could only shudder in the wake of the terrible energy radiated from him as his voice penetrated her consciousness.  
  
"I shall not be manipulated."  
  
As the meaning of his words sunk in, she fought the effect of the pulsating fury that swirled around her and threatened to smash her into the earth at his feet. Gripped in the strength of a powerful emotion rising within her, she wanted, needed, to respond to his accusations.  
  
"I will not tolerate attempts to control me. Not by anyone. And certainly not by a lowly human girl such as you!"  
  
Outrage gave her the jolt she needed, lending her strength in a surge of adrenaline and power that chased away the effects of his own as her head snapped up, revealing to him a face full of a blazing fury of her own. It might have been enough to give a lesser youkai pause, but he was the lesser of no one and the only purpose it served was to fan the fires of his own rage into roaring even higher.  
  
As the darkness of his energy rose, hers counteracted by rising as well, filling the tiny confines with the pressure of their battling auras as they twisted and tangled around each other. Though neither moved by a single muscle, the otherworldly warring occurring around them caused the air to thicken, making breathing harder...  
  
...for the both of them.  
  
Distantly, she was gratified to hear a harsh panting through the darkness that was not her own. But the other part of her that felt a slipping, a vanishing grasp over something that seemed to swell impossibly large within her as it tried to tear her apart...that part of her wished desperately at that moment for anything to intrude and put a halt to whatever it was that was spinning out of control and portended a sinister climax that would shatter the two of them with its force.  
  
Just when she felt she was going burst from the power stretching her to her limits, there was a swish – a flowing movement that slid over her and past her, penetrating that haze of swirling energy that clouded her mind. Dimly, she was aware as the air began to shift, cooled, as a layer of calm and clarity began to settle over her, dissipating the taint of lingering darkness vibrated around her and leeching away the last vestiges of angry energy.  
  
"Wh-what...?"  
  
Dazed, feeling incoherent, it was all she managed to gasp out before she collapsed, her supporting arms folding beneath her like limp noodles, sending her crashing to the earth. She lay there, shuddering weakly for breath, feeling unbelievably drained after the sudden absence of the turbulent energy that had been lending her strength.  
  
"Perhaps...you are the one I seek after all."  
  
She blinked hazily, realized that the voice had come from closer by that she would have figured. Then her fingers twitched slightly, felt a cloth covered knee by her outstretched hand which had gone sprawling outwards with her collapse and knew that he was, indeed, nearby. Feeling oddly at ease, it still took her two swallows before she was able to gasp out a suitable response.  
  
"Just...peachy."  
  
An odd feeling of bemusement followed her words, flowing through her body and mingling with her being like a comforting presence. Though exhaustion was pulling her down, she wasn't so far gone that she couldn't figure out that the feeling most definitely was not hers.  
  
Later...it would be dealt with later.  
  
Sensing someone's emotions was one thing, but actually feeling them as if they were her own was something else. But she was too tired to think too hard on it, or be concerned about the implications. For now, she just wanted to follow the tugs of lassitude that pulled her toward the land of sleep. But she still stirred enough to answer the unspoken question she sensed from him, the words being forced from a mouth that just wanted to close in rest.  
  
"I meant," she clarified sleepily, "that's...just great."  
  
"You enjoy this association?"  
  
"No," she replied, absently, to his disbelief. "It's only...a figure of speech. If you don't mind...ask me about it...later. Much...later..."  
  
"Very well. We will have words later...Kagome."  
  
Eyes about to slide fully closed in slumber, suddenly flew wide open. She didn't have the strength to sit up, but she did turn her head more towards his direction.  
  
"That's the...first time...you said my name..."  
  
"It is this one's conclusion that we should be on...friendlier terms."  
  
"But...you still won't tell me...your name?"  
  
There was a moment of silence, of contemplation. She started to drift back to sleep, feeling that he would once again refuse to answer, when she suddenly heard his low voice seemingly from very far away.  
  
"No."  
  
Her lips curled. She really hadn't figured on any other response from him, after all. And as the darkness of slumber opened its arms to enfold her in its embrace, she struggled against it enough to say –  
  
"Yuusha it is then...since you seem to...dislike Yuusha-sama...so much..."  
  
Then she surrendered to sleep.  
  
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AN: More explanations on names. Yes, I was playing around with them again – they're like little intriguing puzzles that I can't help fooling around with. Now, my Japanese isn't the best so I might be wrong but I'm not overly worried about it because I had fun doing it!  
  
As many people know, Japanese names and words may have similar sounds but have different meanings depending on what kanji is used in writing the name. Now, I can't write the kanji here (and most of you probably wouldn't be able to read it anyway ;-)) but I can tell you what the names I've come up with are roughly translated to based on the kanji I've selected for them.  
  
- Tairiko – large egoism  
  
- Yukihito – snow man  
  
- Juuke – soft fur (my own version of Fluffy!)  
  
- Fuwafuwa – soft (this is actually an adjective used for light and fluffy objects – another Fluffy name version!)  
  
- Andou – dark guide  
  
- Yuusha - hero (Mahoujin Guru-Guru flashbacks anyone?)  
  
Now can you see why Sesshoumaru disliked the names so much? ()  
  
Ah, and suffixes attached to end of names are forms of respect and show the relationships between two people. Most of you probably know them, but for those who don't:  
  
-chan – referring to someone younger or close  
  
-san – similar to Mr. or Miss  
  
-sama – Lord or Lady, term of respect used when referring to a someone superior  
  
-dono – similar to above only a bit more archaic than '-sama' (it's actually the one that I believe should be used with the Inuyasha timeframe but...oh, well)  
  
-ouji – Prince, obviously used with royalty  
  
On another note, poll results for what fic I should work on next are posted on my ff.net profile page. Believe me, if you voted, you might want to check it out because the result just might surprise you.  
  
Happy Easter, everyone! 


	7. Embracing the Dark

AN: For the long wait you've had to go through waiting for this next chapter, I must apologize. I seem to be doing that a lot, don't I?  
  
But many thanks to by betas Claudia and Asako (who was kind enough to fill in after I seemed to have lost my other betas again) and everyone else for the wonderful comments via reviewing, email, or IM – I welcome them all and I've tried to respond to everyone who questioned me and whose email addresses I could actually find. So if I missed anyone, then I apologize again because I didn't mean to but life can get busy and I'm cursed with a disease called forgetfulness.  
  
Oh, and for those who participated in the poll, it's been decided – Hiten & Kagome will be the next series fic I work on for the Inuyasha series! As for the others...well, I sense new oneshots will be in the making. Heh.  
  
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CHAPTER 7: Embracing the Dark  
  
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It was annoying when someone else had the last word.  
  
And Sesshoumaru was highly annoyed.  
  
What was even more frustrating was that the object of his annoyance was unconscious and fully unable to bear the brunt of his dissatisfaction as she rightly should. Instead, she was slumbering without a care in the world, lips still curled in a slight smile, body laid out and twisted upon the ground in what looked to be a somewhat uncomfortable position.  
  
Not that he cared, of course.  
  
She sighed softly, a sweet sound, mumbling something unintelligible beneath her breath, and he found that annoyed him as well, stoking his ire to even higher heights. He was tempted to kick her awake and partly relieve his frustration, but he refrained. After all, it would be a childish gesture and he was beyond that.  
  
Also, it would require him to actually be able to move.  
  
His muscles trembled with the effort it took to even remain upright in the kneeling position he'd dropped down to after the power had receded from the enclosed space. He could count on one claw the number of times he'd ever felt this weak since he'd reached adulthood – and he had killed each one that had caused it. But, even then, he'd been more physically exhausted after the rigors of a fast-paced battle, not drained as he was now.  
  
He held out a claw – and it trembled.  
  
No, he did not like this at all.  
  
Still...  
  
His gaze turned back to the human, studying her harmless features with a detached gaze. He couldn't believe this little slip of a girl had unleashed an aura powerful enough to battle with his own with near equal power. It was unconceivable that someone, much less a human, could push him this far into feeling physical exertion when there had been no battling of flesh involved. She was a mystery, a mass of contradictions, and he found himself intrigued despite his disdain for humans.  
  
But it was a dangerous intrigue.  
  
Eyes flickered in displeasure at the thought. It brought too much to mind events of the past and he had no desire to tread upon the same path his father had traveled.  
  
No, he would use the human and then he would discard her.  
  
It was as simple as that.  
  
A motion drew his attention and his gaze snagged on the white furry appendage that was undulating lazily, one end entwined around the sleeping girl while –  
  
The other end was latched around his arm.  
  
Perhaps things would not be so simple, after all.  
  
His kaminohogo was acting strangely in a way it had never acted before, defying him and showing blatant favoritism towards someone else that was barely more than a complete stranger. It had even gone so far as to take the initiative just at the point when one or both of them would have broken under the strain of their silent struggle by latching on to the two of them and shifting their energies, deliberately draining their anger before true harm may have befallen them. And that, above all, gave him grave foreboding that his life was only going to become even more complicated from this point on. It was not something he desired and, if he could, he would deposit the human back with that lowborn hanyou.  
  
But he didn't have that luxury.  
  
Even now, he could feel the urgency of the situation pressing upon him, time dwindling down more and more into nothingness as the end of everything drew ever nearer. And it was not something he could stand idly by and tolerate.  
  
So be it.  
  
If being with the girl threatened to overturn his life, he would take the chance.  
  
The other option was unacceptable.  
  
Feeling he finally had enough strength to support himself, he stood, swayed unsteadily with a gracelessness that felt distinctly out of place for him. He could only be grateful that there was no one else to see this ignoble situation in which he found himself immersed.  
  
A tug drew his gaze downwards only to find his kaminohogo straining, struggling in its own way to draw the objects within its opposite ends closer together. Unfortunately for it, as weak as Sesshoumaru may have been at that moment, he still proved immobile to his possession's attempts and did not budge from his spot. However, the same did not hold true of the unconscious girl.  
  
Strain, tug –  
  
Slide.  
  
Strain, tug –  
  
Slide.  
  
Strain, tug –  
  
"Cease now!"  
  
He inwardly cursed as he barked the order and all motion immediately stilled. Having had enough of watching his wayward possession drag the girl's lax body across the earthen floor with every straining tug, he could not stand the ridiculousness of the situation any longer.  
  
It was with extreme irritation that he regarded both the girl and his kaminohogo. However, despite his dislike with the entire course of events, he was no fool and knew the value of what needed to be done. And with those thoughts uppermost in his mind, he bent down, muscles trembling with the effort, and wrapped his arm around her waist and rose with her left dangling precariously in his hold.  
  
She never woke.  
  
As soon as he touched her, his kaminohogo went into action, lessening its slackness by sliding and coiling like a serpent until it was wrapped more securely around both the peaceful slumbering female and its lord. Though that, too, did nothing to decrease Sesshoumaru's dark mood, he refrained from any reaction other than to steadily continue his way deeper into the cave, and only when he could go no further did he stop.  
  
He shifted the body in his arm and settled down until he was resting against the rocky wall and she was beside him, the slight weight of her frame leaning against his, white fur wrapped around them both. In this newest position, ever the warrior and strategist, his golden gaze took another cursory perusal of their surroundings. He examined with scrutinizing eyes every part of their temporary residence, making certain there was nothing threatening in sight and that he had the best vantage point of the entrance in the unlikely event that an enemy might stumble upon them.  
  
Though the chances of such a thing happening were not great, for contact with his kaminohogo should mask both of their presences and the power of the Shikon shards from hunting predators, he ensured that he would be prepared nonetheless. And only when he was certain that all aspects of their safety were ensured to the best of his abilities did he finally allow his fatigued body to rest.  
  
However, just as he was about to succumb and follow his new companion into slumber, a vague thought drifted across his mind just before sleep claimed him.  
  
'It was a horrid name...'  
  
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He awoke at once, as was his way.  
  
There was no morning grogginess, no period of adjustment needed for sleep to fade away and full consciousness to return in the manner that most lower beings were possessed with. Such a thing was not for the great Sesshoumaru. No, his mind was awake and alert as soon as his eyes opened.  
  
And that was why he abruptly tensed and went absolutely still in shock the moment it registered that –  
  
The human was hugging him!  
  
One fragile arm wrapped around his waist and the other tossed over his shoulder and around his neck, she was entwined about him like a lover! Even as he watched with disbelieving eyes, she snuggled closer, cheeks nestling deeper into the white fur that crisscrossed over his chest and around her slender frame.  
  
And the decisive Sesshoumaru suddenly didn't know what to do.  
  
He'd never been in such a situation before and it caught him off guard; it was a puzzle as to how the girl had managed to wind her way around him so thoroughly without waking him up. He was a light sleeper, decades of battle training had made him so, and even the slightest motion she made should have sent him rushing back to full consciousness.  
  
But it hadn't.  
  
Obviously, his senses had somehow become disordered.  
  
No doubt, something had happened during the intense conflict in which their auras had battled, twisted against each other in the struggle. And whatever that something was, it had allowed the human to shift about him without setting off his naturally reflexive self-protective instincts. He was undecided as to whether this was a good or bad thing but...  
  
He was leaning towards bad.  
  
On the other hand, it would have ruined everything if his usual instincts had been aggravated and caused him to accidentally kill her. His survival instinct was keen and one of the main lessons he'd been taught from an early age and was ingrained into the very fiber of his being was to eradicate any perceived danger immediately and worry about the inconsequential details after the threat was taken care of. And it would not do if he had 'taken care' of the human before he even had time to concern himself with those details.  
  
There were moments when acting first and asking questions later could prove disadvantageous.  
  
The thought that he might have killed her...troubled him oddly. He had killed many – humans, youkai – but he had never given them another thought, had never been bothered by their deaths. But that just the mere idea that he might have added her to the tally of his slays did not hold well with him was proof that her presence was affecting him somehow. His reaction to the thought of her death, the normally controlled emotions that she unwittingly was able to draw from him, the actions of his kaminohogo...  
  
He did not know what to make of it all but was wise enough to realize that the combination of such occurrences hinted to but a prelude of what was to come. As for where it was all to lead, that future was uncertain but he had a feeling that he would not like it and instinct told him to get as far away from what was brewing around him as quickly as possible.  
  
Unfortunately, he had no other choice.  
  
All of it centered around the girl and to get away meant leaving her. Much as he relished the idea of abandoning her and the turmoil she was bringing to him, promises and oaths bound him, made him unable to leave that which he despised and would under other circumstances avoid or simply kill.  
  
There was no way out; he was damned either way and the realization turned his mood black.  
  
"S'okay..."  
  
The soft mumble drew his gaze to the source, only to find the girl still obviously asleep with a slight frown creasing her brow. Her dark hair shifted over him as she rubbed her cheek soothingly over the fur crossing his chest while her arms tightened around him slightly in a gentle squeeze as a layer of peace that did not come from him nudged at dark mood. With disbelieving bemusement and wariness, he realized that she had somehow picked up on his emotions in her sleeping state and was unconsciously trying to comfort him!  
  
'What in God's name is going on?!'  
  
Not only was the notion of someone trying to comfort him unsettling, but he did not relish at all the idea that anyone would be able read his moods so easily, especially not a human. It was a threat that had him tensing, an invasion into the privacy of his own heart, his mind.  
  
And if he'd had the slightest indication that she was able to actually read his thoughts word for word, he would have killed her without hesitation and the consequences bedamned! No one was allowed to get as close as that, his self-protective instincts were too honed to open himself to such personal danger. Only his keen sense of self that assured him that no attempt was made to pry into the inner workings of his mind kept him from killing the girl before she had time to even wake.  
  
As he watched, she gave a small distressed whimper, the frown furrowing her brows deepening as her arms again squeezed gently and came with that same sense of peace that slid on the fringes of his inner turmoil. And despite it all, the even sounds of her breathing told him that she still slept, unaware of what she was doing and perhaps even of what she was feeling.  
  
With resignation he subsided, allowing his tense body to relax and his mind to calm. The girl could not help it after all, was unaware of what was happening. And, besides, it was he that had dragged her into this mess for he had heard the truth in her words when she had claimed lack of magical knowledge which meant that any mystical occurrences that their association was causing was very new to her. In other words...  
  
She had no idea of how she was affecting him.  
  
It was, he supposed, a good thing.  
  
Mind having reached a more sedate plateau, he allowed himself to study her curiously. Never had he been in such a state of rest before with anyone, much less a human. And considering that he'd be spending a good deal of time in her company, a reasonable voice inside of him whispered that it was only right that he familiarize himself with his newest companion and examine her at his leisure.  
  
Besides, no one else was around and she was asleep – so who would know?  
  
The oddity of her clothes and mannerisms he dismissed. They were strange and marked her as a stranger to the area and were items he could examine at a later date once she was awake and could be questioned. And at the moment, his questions were concentrated on other matters about her person that he would not take this chance to pass up while she was unconscious and at his mercy.  
  
He slowly shifted, moving the arm she was laying against until one clawed hand could rise. Almost hesitantly, attracted by the dark tresses that lay fanned over him, he cautiously touched a straggling tendril.  
  
It was...different.  
  
To his senses, it felt coarser than his own locks, but then there were very few that could compare to the fineness of his own hair. Still, the texture of hers was silkier than he expected, smooth and cool to the touch and imbued with the faint scent of something exotic and mysterious that he could not quite put a name to. But it was the color more than anything that held his attention. It was so very different from his own pale hair that held only one shade. He was fascinated with the play of light from the faint glow left by the dying embers of the fire, casting shades of dark that looked almost blue in the black of her hair streaked with glints of brown.  
  
Enjoying the feel of her hair sifting between his fingers, he turned his gaze to regard her features critically. The first thing he noted was her skin. It was darker than his own, but then he vaguely recalled rumors that the sun had a tendency to cause color changes in humans who were exposed in it too long. He did not know about other humans, but in this one he found the tone of her skin an interesting golden peach that seemed rich and warm, the texture looking smooth and almost inviting the touch.  
  
And so he did.  
  
With some reluctance, he left the play with her hair, his arm wrapping around her body in a near embrace as he reached for her face. He touched her and his first thought was –  
  
She felt so warm.  
  
Logically, he knew that the temperature of her body wasn't that much higher than his. But with the layers of cloth and fur that separated him, this was the first he had been given the time to actually examine and register that difference with direct flesh to flesh contact. He could feel the heat of her soaking into his palm as he slid it across the line of her jaw, felt skin that was surprising soft and smooth to the touch.  
  
Curious, he noted that her skin seemed thinner that his, more fragile and translucent and...easier to destroy. He placed the tip of one pointed nail upon the fleshy cushion of her cheek and slowly pressed, fascinated by the indentation that deepened with increased pressure. The give and tensile strength was more that he had originally imagined for all that the skin provided seemingly little in the way of any sort of a protective barrier. He continued pushing against the soft flesh, testing and examining, and stopped just short when he sensed he was on the verge of breaking through skin and drawing blood.  
  
It wouldn't do to make her bleed, after all.  
  
Not yet.  
  
For all that the kaminohogo could shield their essence, the same could not be said for the scent of blood. They did not need the trouble that such a lure would bring, attracting the unwanted attentions of lesser youkai that hungered for prey, for a fight, for blood. Besides, he had no doubt that their association would be one touched by danger and battles.  
  
She was sure to bleed at some point.  
  
He could wait.  
  
Refraining himself from satisfying his curiosity concerning her blood, he withdrew for the moment, studying intently the way her flesh immediately bounced back and resumed it's former shape as if it had never been touched by claw. As his hand went back to sifting through the inky darkness of her hair, his gaze continued to study the other features that lay open to his perusal.  
  
He began with her eyes, accented by the dark brows that arched above them, the color and spirited fire contained within her luminous orbs hidden by closed lids as she continued to slumber. The delicate flesh of those covering lids were tipped by fine hairs as long lashes fanned out, creating dark crescents that lay on the paler ocean of flesh on which they crowned. The stark contrast on the light peach toned skin on which they rested as they curled downwards drew his gaze in the same direction as it sojourned over the delicate fine-boned structure of her nose and further until they settled on her lips.  
  
A deep pink, reminiscent of a dusky rose, he observed, touched those lips. Slightly parted as she breathed, they appeared softer and fuller than those of most other females he'd been in contact with. It was not what he was used to but the longer he stared, the more he came to the conclusion that they were the right shape that was perfectly proportionate to the other features of her face.  
  
Frowning inwardly when found his perusal lingering on those lips for longer than comfort allowed, he tore his gaze away to stare into the depths of the surrounding cave. An unsettled restlessness lay within but slowly calmed, the sifting motion of his fingers through her hair soothing his inner turmoil, as did the odd sense of peace that seemed to emanate from her into him.  
  
Then he realized what was happening and became unsettled all over again.  
  
Displeased, he eyed his kaminohogo in dissatisfaction. Though it lay in innocent motionless, he was not deceived. He knew that it had something to do with the strange emotional connection that seemed to plague him and the human but he did not know exactly what or why.  
  
If only it could speak, if only it did not mean what it did to him...if only...  
  
Then Sesshoumaru would have had no qualms about torturing the information from it.  
  
His increased darkening mood was nudged aside once more when the human shifted, snuggling into him further as white calm lapped at the blackness until it subsided. It drew his attention back to her and he observed the pout that pursed her lips as if silently castigating him for the disturbance his internal upset was causing her peaceful slumber.  
  
A thread of humor curled within him as he wondered what her reaction would be when she woke for despite the manner in which she dressed, she did not seem the type who was used to waking in the arms of a male. He didn't have long to wonder as suddenly, with a low muffled yawn, she shifted upon him and lazily opened bleary eyes.  
  
Then she stiffened and froze. 


End file.
